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More Great Information on Breathe Respiratory:
Why Do We Breathe? : The Biology Behind It
We are not really conscious of our breathing activities unless we are either exercising or come into contact with an element which alters the way in which we breathe; such as smoke. This article looks at the breathing process, as well as the possible respiratory diseases people can suffer from.
Structure and Functions of the Respiratory System
In order for respiration to occur in the body cells they must be supplied with oxygen and waste carbon dioxide must be removed. The blood carries these two gases round the body but the actual exchange of gases takes place in the lungs. The act of breathing draws atmospheric air into the lungs and exchanges it for used air. All mammals have very similar lungs, and you will find that the lungs of a cow or sheep are much the same to our own in essential structure, just a different size and shape.
Lung Capacities
Humans tend to inhale and exhale about half a litre of air with each breath. This amount is termed the tidal volume. With a very deep breath, the average person can inhale about three litres more than this. This is called the inspiratory reserve volume. We can also exhale more air than the tidal halflitre, about an extra litre in total. This is termed the expiratory reserve volume. No matter how hard we try, we cannot expel all the air that is in our lungs – this would mean collapsing them, which would destroy their delicate structure. Even after breathing out all the air that we can, we still have about 1 ½ litres remaining. We call this the residual volume.
The vital capacity of the lungs is the tidal volume of the lungs, plus both the inspiratory and expiratory volumes. A normal adult has a vital capacity of 4‐5 litres. A very fit athlete might have a capacity of over 6 litres.
Breathing In – Inspiration
This occurs when your diaphragm – a sheet of muscle separating your thorax from your abdomen – contracts. This contraction pulls it flat. The intercostals muscles between the ribs also contract, pulling the ribs up and out. These two actions increase the volume of the thorax thus decreasing the pressure. As the thorax is a sealed unit, air from outside rushes into the lungs to equalise the pressure.
Breathing Out – Expiration
The diaphragm relaxes into its normal dome shape and the intercostal muscles relax, allowing the ribs to fall inwards and down. This reduces the volume of the thorax, increasing the pressure which pushes the air out of the lungs.
Breathing Rate
The rate at which we breathe and the amount of air we breathe in and out at each breath is not constant. At rest we breathe fairly slowly and only exchange about 500cm3 of air with each breath, the tidal volume. But, if we exert ourselves, and vigorously exercise, then we start to breathe more rapidly, and pant.
Gaseous Exchange
It has already been mentioned that the exchange of gases takes place in the alveoli, the tiny air pockets at the end of each branch of the bronchioles. The enormous number of alveoli gives the lungs a massive surface area over which gases can diffuse. Each alveolus wall is very thin and moist. Oxygen can dissolve in the moisture and quickly diffuse across the wall and the thin capillary wall into the blood stream. It can then be taken up by the haemoglobin and transported. Carbon dioxide passes in solution the other way and then turns into a gas in the alveolus ready to be breathed out.
Respiratory Diseases
The common cold is the disease of the respiratory system that most people are familiar with. It is caused by a virus, and is rarely serious. There are however, other more serious diseases which have several causes – some of which we can often do something about. Some are infectious, others genetic or acquired due to a certain lifestyle:
Asthma
The wheezing and breathlessness of asthma is due to the contracting of the muscles round the bronchi. This makes breathing out particularly difficult. Although stress often aggravates asthma, bronchial infections or allergies usually trigger asthmatic attacks.
Bronchitis
An ordinary cold can lead to the trachea and bronchi becoming inflamed and prone to bacterial infection. This inflammation is known as acute bronchitis. If the bronchi are inflamed by irritants in the air however, the bronchitis continues over a long period of time and is termed ‘chronic’. The cilia on the lining of the airways cease to work and mucus accumulates. This causes a persistent cough and breathing may become more difficult.
Emphysema
Chronic bronchitis can lead to the walls of some of the alveoli breaking down. This reduces the surface over which gases can diffuse and so makes a person ‘breathless’, they need to breathe faster to obtain enough oxygen.
Pneumonoconiosis
This is a reaction to high levels of dust in inspired air. It can result in bronchitis and emphysema, and eventually to fibrous tissue being laid down in the lungs. This obviously reduces their efficiency leading to breathlessness.
Lung Cancer
Lung cancer is known to be caused by certain chemicals if they are breathed in. Asbestos is one of these, as are several chemicals which are found in cigarette smoke.
This article has been put together by the distance learning organisation Start Learning who are experts in home study. If you want to find out more about Anatomy and Physiology or many other distance learning courses please browse their website:
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A good way to find out more about Anatomy and Physiology is to sign up for a distance learning course on the subject. By studying in your free time and pace, you can gain the necessary knowledge while tailoring it to suit your schedule.
Kerrana McAvoy
Academic Director – Start Learning
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