The Respiratory System

1. The Respiratory System By Drew Hilliard and Laura Arneson

2. Respiratory Vocabulary • Respiratory: of, related to, or affecting respiration, or the organs of respiration. • Chemotherapy: the treatment of disease by use of chemical substances. • Alveoli: a thin walled, capillary rich sac in the lungs that exchanges gases with the bloodstream. • Capillaries: Tiny, branching blood vessels that absorb gases. • Bloodstream: The blood circling through your body.

3. How It Works: Oxygen is inhaled through the nose or mouth. Then, it travels down your trachea. The trachea then splits into two pathways called bronchi. The bronchi divide again, into many bronchial tubes. These tubes lead to tiny sacs in the lungs called alveoli. The air-filled sacs absorb the oxygen into the bloodstream. They also absorb carbon dioxide out of the blood stream, so that we can exhale it. The diaphragm allows us to control our breathing. When it contracts, we pull oxygen into our lungs, and when it relaxes, carbon dioxide is pushed out. This system allows us to exchange gasses, and deliver oxygen all over the body, and get rid off the waste product carbon dioxide. The respiratory system is located in your head, neck and chest.

4. Major Organs: • Lungs- They are used for taking in oxygen and breathing out carbon dioxide. The lungs exchange these gasses into and out of the bloodstream. • Trachea- The trachea is also known as our windpipe. It filters the air that we breath and branches into the bronchi. • Bronchi- The bronchi are two air tubes that branch off of the trachea and carry air directly to the lungs. • Diaphragm- The diaphragm is a dome shaped muscle at the bottom of your lungs. When it expands and contracts, we breathe in, and out. • Bronchioles- Bronchioles are the passageways where air passes through the nose or mouth to the air sacs in the lungs. • Larynx- The larynx is an organ in the neck that houses the vocal cords and protects the trachea against food aspiration. • Alveoli- In the alveoli, red blood cells carries oxygen to be absorbed and carry out carbon dioxide to be exhaled out the lungs.

5. What Allergies Can Do to the Respiratory System An allergy is a hypersensitivity of the immune system. A reaction can be triggered from a usually normal substance. These substances that trigger allergies are called allergens. Many allergens are airborne particles like dust or pollen that may be absorbed into that person's respiratory system. A person’s respiratory organs like the lungs are at risk from the particles being absorbed with the flow of air that goes through the lungs. Inhaled allergens that lead towards a reaction can cause sneezing, irritation of the nose, and asthmatic symptoms.

6. Diseases and Injuries of the Respiratory System • Lung cancer- Lung cancer is caused by an uncontrolled cell growth in tissues of the lung, the most common cases being exposed to tobacco for long periods of time. Common treatments of lung cancer are surgery, chemotherapy and radiotherapy. Teenagers are at risk of lung cancer as many teens start smoking at an early age. • Asthma-- Asthma is a common inflammatory disease of the airways causing them to narrow and cause difficulty breathing for the person. Asthma is a genetic disease. If one parent has asthma there is a chance the child might have asthma. If both parents have asthma the chances are much higher. Today, 1 in 10 people under the age of 18 have asthma. • Upper Respiratory Infection- These infections can range from the common cold, to laryngitis. They affect the how we direct the air we breathe. These infections are the leading cause of school and work absences.

7. The Effects of Drugs and Alcohol Smoking cigarettes is known to lead to diseases such as emphysema, lung cancer, and bronchitis. Many drugs can cause you to breathe too slowly, block airways, and exacerbate asthma symptoms. Alcohol can lead to aspiration pneumonia, increased risk for URIs, and aggravation of chronic lung diseases such as COPD or Bronchitis.

8. A Healthy Respiratory System To keep your respiratory system healthy, you can: • Exercise regularly • Drink plenty of water • Keep household plants • Not smoke • Wash your hands frequently If you don’t do these things to help your respiratory system stay healthy, you can develop diseases such as: • COPD • Pneumonia • Lung Cancer • Tuberculosis It is not possible to live without your respiratory system. It is necessary for cellular respiration and the exchange of gasses.

9. Correlation With The Cardiovascular System The respiratory system works closely with the cardiovascular system. The heart pumps blood to the lungs, then delivers the blood all over the body. The cycle keeps continuing. Without this system, the respiratory system would not be able to completely function, and vice versa. These two systems are a close working pair to help deliver oxygen all over the body.

10. Quiz: • Which part of the respiratory system absorbs oxygen into the bloodstream? a. bronchial tubes b. alveoli c. trachea d. diaphragm 2. What disease of the respiratory system is most common? a. cancer b. COPD c. asthma d. pneumonia 3. How can you help keep your respiratory system healthy? a. keep plants in your house b. climb mountains c. go running in the city d. inhaling helium

11. Answers: 1. The Alveoli 2. Asthma 3. Keep Household Plants