The Respiratory System

So today I have decided to do my blog on The Respiratory System. So the basic that we all know is that the respiratory system is to move air in and out the lungs. Short and sweet right? Well it is slightly more complicated then that. There are a lot of things that are going on in your body that you are not aware of when you take a breath. Well for starts the respiratory system consist of the nose (duh right lol ), next there is that pharynx, the larynx, the trachea , as well as the bronchial tree which include the bronchi , bronchioles, alveoli and finally the lungs.
      OK so first thing first the nasal cavity is simply the hollow space that is behind the nose which is divided into left and right portions by the nasal septum. Your nasal cavity is lined with mucus membrane which helps to warm and moisten the air  and cilia  which is microscopic hair projections that help to trap dust and particles and it also helps to push mucus toward the pharynx, where it is swallowed. Its a line of defense. I suppose that is why some people  have it growing out the wazoo. Too each its own. Now next we got to Pharynx which is simply a passageway to the Larynx.  Now your Larynx is also called your voice box. Your Larynx sits above your Trachea which is also known as your windpipe. So your Larynx move your air in and out your trachea but it also is what produces your sound of your voice. Now your larynx is mostly cartilage and muscle tissue. To be more precise it has three different types of cartilage. The biggest of the three is your thyroid cartilage, the smaller of the cartilage is the epiglottis. Now your epiglottis is a little flap-like structure that helps to block off your respiratory system when eating and or drinking. The third and final cartilage is the cricoid cartilage. Your vocal cords are situated between your thyroid cartilage and cricoid cartilage.


 Interesting Fact: You have 2 types of vocal cord. You have a set of true vocal cords that produce your sound and then you have a set of False cords that do not produce sound.

 Moving right along we are heading to your trachea or also known as your windpipe. It looks something like that without all the color and not so big.

Your trachea extends from your larynx to the bronchi. Your trachea is lined with  Cilia (remember that is hair-like projections that is used as a line of defense against viruses and bacteria),


Another interesting fact: The reason smokers cough a lot is because smoking destroys the cilia in their trachea, so they feel the need to cough more to help to move the mucus to their pharynx.

 Next in our journey through the respiratory system is the Bronchial Tree. ( Looks like the picture below except its upside down)

Now the branches are called the bronchi which is the main stem. Then we have secondary bronchi followed by Tertiary bronchi that branches into bronchioles. So basically the order goes from the bigger part of the branch and each additional bronchi gets smaller. At the end of the bronchioles are alveoli. Alveoli are small thin sacs that are considered working tissue that exchange oxygen and carbon dioxide. They look something like this .


Finally we get to the lungs!! So we all know that we have 2 lungs. The right lung is divided into 3 lobes (Upper, middle, lower). And your left lung with is smaller is divided in 2 lobes (upper and lower). Your lungs are what houses your bronchial tree and alveoli.


So lets recap  that is how you breath. I hope you enjoyed and learned from it.



Til next meeting enjoy your weekend!!