The Respiratory System
The respiratory system is a ventilatory system that performs gas exchange through a combination of different organs. It includes the airways, lungs, and the respiratory muscles.
Inspiration (inhalation) and expiration (exhalation) allows for the exchange of oxygen and carbon dioxide, called respiration. "Respiration must be continuous; interruption for even a few minutes can result in brain damage and/or death" (Fremgen/Frucht 236). External respiration refers to the oxygen and carbon dioxide exchange in the lungs, and internal respiration takes place at the cellular level. In the alveoli, oxygen from the air is absorbed into the blood and carbon dioxide is exhaled as a waste product of metabolism.
The respiratory system is a ventilatory system that performs gas exchange through a combination of different organs. It includes the airways, lungs, and the respiratory muscles.
Inspiration (inhalation) and expiration (exhalation) allows for the exchange of oxygen and carbon dioxide, called respiration. "Respiration must be continuous; interruption for even a few minutes can result in brain damage and/or death" (Fremgen/Frucht 236). External respiration refers to the oxygen and carbon dioxide exchange in the lungs, and internal respiration takes place at the cellular level. In the alveoli, oxygen from the air is absorbed into the blood and carbon dioxide is exhaled as a waste product of metabolism.
References:
- "Medical Terminology: An Anatomy and Physiology Systems Approach" by Bonnie F. Fremgen and Suzanne S. Frucht
- www.wikipedia.org
- www.webmd.com