Unit-1 Respiratory System
2/4/25
Respiratory System Parts and Functions
Notes entry:
Respiratory System Parts and Functions
The respiratory tract in humans is made up of the following parts:
● Nasal cavity- Air enters, warms, moistens, and
filters.
a)External nostrils – For inhaling and exhaling of air.
b)Nasal chamber – which is lined with hair and mucus
to filter the air from dust and dirt.
● Pharynx –Passageway for air and food.
It is a passage behind the nasal chamber and is the
common passageway for air and food.
● Larynx –Voice box
Also known as the sound box, it houses the vocal cords.
● Trachea – Windpipe (Airways to lungs)
It is a long tube reinforced with cartilage rings to keep
it open, ensuring uninterrupted airflow to the lungs
● Bronchi – Tubes branching to lungs. The trachea divides into the left and
right bronchi.
● Bronchioles – Each bronchus is further divided into finer channels
known as bronchioles, creating an extensive network for air distribution.
● Alveoli – Tiny air sacs for gas exchange.
The bronchioles terminate in balloon-like structures known as the alveoli.
Alveoli are where oxygen enters the bloodstream and carbon dioxide leaves
●Lungs
– Humans have a pair of lungs, which are sac-like structures covered
by a double-layered membrane known as pleura.
● Diaphragm- The breathing muscle
The diaphragm is a dome-shaped muscle located below the lungs. It plays a
key role in breathing. When the diaphragm contracts, air enters; when it
relaxes, air exits.
4-4-25
● Respiratory system: the system involved with providing oxygen to the
blood and removing carbon dioxide so that respiration can take place in
all cells.
● Respiration: A series of chemical reactions in all living cells.
It is a multistep process involving breathing, the transport of gases/gaseous
exchange, and cellular respiration to produce energy.
Two types of respiration (cellular respiration):
1. Aerobic respiration: The process by which organisms respire in the
presence of oxygen. Birds, fish, animals, and humans. Produce CO2 and water
Glucose + Oxygen → Carbon dioxide + water + energy
2. Anaerobic respiration: The process by which organisms respire in the
absence of oxygen. Most microorganisms, such as yeast and bacteria, produce
acids and alcohol.
Glucose → Lactic acid + small amount of energy (ANIMAL CELL)
Glucose →Ethanol + Carbon dioxide + small amount of energy
(PLANT CELL)
1.2 Gas Exchange Notes entry: 16-4-25
Keywords
Capillaries: the smallest type of blood vessel.
Gas exchange: the movement (by diffusion) of gases into and out of organisms.
In the lungs, oxygen diffuses into the blood, and carbon dioxide diffuses out.
Diffusion: the net movement of a substance from a place of higher
concentration to a lower concentration due to the random movement of
molecules.
Factors for efficient diffusion:
Large surface area of alveoli
Very thin wall between the air and blood
Flowchart(on white page)
Nostrils
↓
Nasal Cavity
↓
Pharynx
↓
Larynx
↓
Trachea
↓
Bronchus
↓
Bronchioles
↓
Alveoli
↓
Blood
Gaseous Exchange in Lungs.
1. When you breathe(inhale), air containing oxygen enters your
windpipe, passes through the bronchi, and eventually reaches
the air sacs.
2. These air sacs, called alveoli, are responsible for gas exchange.
They are located at the end of the bronchial branches and look
like grapes.
3. The exchange of gases takes place through a process called
diffusion.
4. Diffusion is the movement of gas from an area of high
concentration to an area of low concentration.
5. There is a high concentration of oxygen in the alveoli and a low
concentration of oxygen in the blood, so oxygen diffuses from
the alveoli into the blood.
New terms introduced:
Oxyhaemoglobin: A bright red substance formed by the
combination of haemoglobin with oxygen, present in
oxygenated blood
Carboxyhaemoglobin is a stable chemical complex formed
when carbon monoxide(CO) binds to hemoglobin in red blood
cells, effectively preventing oxygen transport.
17/04/25
Keywords:
● -Analogy: using one structure, idea, or process to explain
another.
● - Inspired air: air that is breathed in
● - Expired air: air that is breathed out
● - Lime water: a dilute solution of calcium hydroxide; it goes
cloudy when mixed with carbon dioxide.
-Inhaled and exhaled air:
Compared to inhaled air, exhaled air contains:
● less oxygen
● More carbon dioxide
● More water vapour
The composition of inhaled air differs from exhaled air because of
gas exchange in the alveoli.
Comparison of inspired air and expired air.
component/Gas Percentage in Percentage in
inspired air expired air
oxygen 21% 16%
Carbon dioxide 0.04 4
Water vapour variable Usually very high
21-4-25 1.3 Breathing
Differences between breathing and respiration
Breathing Respiration
Breathing is an external Respiration is an internal
process process
Breathing involves the Respiration is the process
process of inhaling oxygen by which energy is
and exhaling carbon released.
dioxide The reaction of food with
oxygen is called oxidation.
Breathing is a physical Respiration is a chemical
process. process.
There is no energy Energy is produced and
production in this process. released in the form of ATP.