The Respiratory System

The respiratory system provides a pathway for oxygen to get from the air into the lungs and for the blood to exchange carbon dioxide for this oxigen. Breathing is regulated in part of our brain. It is an involuntary act

the organs that make up the respiratory system include the nose, mouth, pharynx ( throat ), trachea ( windpipe ), larynx ( voice box ), diaphragm, brochi and lungs. because this exchange must take place all the time, it is necessary to always keep this pathway open. The structures themselves help this. the trachea and bronchi are kept open by their anatomical structure. the tiny hairs in the nose trap dust so it dose not reach the lungs. on the top of the trachea, opening from the pharynx, is a structure know as the larynx. it is not only the opening to the trachea, it also contains vocal cords that make it possible for us to talk. Air passing by the cocal cords causes them to vibrate, which makes it possible for us to have a voice. an important piece of cartilage, the epiglottis, covers the opening to the trachea. When food is swallowed, the epiglottis prevents the food from going into the lungs

a very weak patient or one is having trouble breathing must be watched carefully while eating so that food does not get into the trachea. This is known as aspiration of food.. An unconscious patient who vomits also may be in danger of aspirating that material. Turn the patient's head to the side at once

The exchange of oxygen and carbon dioxide occurs in the small air sacs ( alveoli ), which are the last branches of the bronchi. As you inhale and the diaphragm moves toward the abdominal cavity, oxygen fills these sacs and is exchanged for the carbon dioxide that the blood bring to these sacs from the heart. As you exhale, the diaphragm compresses the lungs and forces the carbon dioxide out of the lungs into the air. The oxyden rich blood then returns to the heart to bo sent around the body. If your patient has difficulty breathing, that means he has difficulty exchangeing the carbon dioxide in this blood for fresh oxygen in his lungs. As a result, all the cells n his body have less oxygen