Anatomy Of The Respiratory System
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`Page 1 of 12
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`Anatomy Of The Respiratory
`System
`
`The respiratory system (also referred to as the ventilator system) is a
`complex biological system comprised of several organs that facilitate
`the inhalation and exhalation of oxygen and carbon dioxide in living
`organisms (or, in other words, breathing).
`
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`Anatomy Of The Respiratory System
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`Page 2 of 12
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`For all air-breathing vertebrates, respiration is handled by the lungs, but
`these are far from the only components of the respiratory system. In
`fact, the system is composed of the following biological structures: nose
`and nasal cavity, mouth, pharynx, larynx, trachea, bronchi and
`bronchioles, lungs and the muscles of respiration. (1)
`
`A properly functioning respiratory system is a vital part of our good
`health. Respiratory infections can be acute and sometimes life
`threatening. They can also be chronic, in which case they place
`tremendous long term stress on the immune system, endocrine system,
`HPA axis, and much more.
`
`Anatomical Components
`An image of the respiratory system, showing all the major components,
`is shown above.
`
`1. Nose and Nasal Cavity
`
`The nose and nasal cavity constitute the main external opening of the
`respiratory system. They represent the entryway to the respiratory tract
`– a passage through the body which air uses for travel in order to reach
`the lungs. The nose is made out of bone, muscle, cartilage and skin,
`while the nasal cavity is, more or less, hollow space. Although the nose is
`typically credited as being the main external breathing apparatus, its
`role is actually to provide support and protection to the nasal cavity. The
`cavity is lined with mucus membranes and little hairs that can filter the
`air before it goes into the respiratory tract. They can trap all harmful
`particles such as dust, mold and pollen and prevent them from reaching
`any of the internal components. At the same time, the cold outside air is
`warmed up and moisturized before going through the respiratory tract.
`During exhalation, the warm air that is eliminated returns the heat and
`moisture back to the nasal cavity, so this forms a continuous process.
`
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`Anatomy Of The Respiratory System
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`2. Oral cavity
`
`The oral cavity, more commonly referred to as the mouth, is the only
`other external component that is part of the respiratory system. In
`truth, it does not perform any additional functions compared to the
`nasal cavity, but it can supplement the air inhaled through the nose or
`act as an alternative when breathing through the nasal cavity is not
`possible or exceedingly difficult. Normally, breathing through nose is
`preferable to breathing through the mouth. Not only does the mouth
`not possess the ability to warm and moisturize the air coming in, but it
`also lacks the hairs and mucus membranes to filter out unwanted
`contaminants. On the plus side, the pathway leading from the mouth is
`shorter and the diameter is wider, which means that more air can enter
`the body at the same speed.
`
`3. Pharynx
`
`The pharynx is the next component of the respiratory tract, even though
`most people refer to it simply as the throat. It resembles a funnel made
`out of muscles that acts as an intermediary between the nasal cavity
`and the larynx and esophagus. It is divided into three separate sections:
`nasopharynx, oropharynx and laryngopharynx. The nasopharynx is the
`upper region of the structure, which begins at the posterior of the nasal
`cavity and simply allows air to travel through it and reach the lower
`sections. The oropharynx does something similar, except it is located at
`the posterior of the oral cavity. Once the air reaches the
`laryngopharynx, something called the epiglottis will divert it to the
`larynx. The epiglottis is a flap that performs a vital task, by switching
`access between the esophagus and trachea. This ensures that air will
`travel through the trachea, but that food which is swallowed and travels
`through the pharynx is diverted to the esophagus.
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`Anatomy Of The Respiratory System
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`4. Larynx
`
`The larynx is the next component, but represents only a small section of
`the respiratory tract that connects the laryngopharynx to the trachea. It
`is commonly referred to as the voice box, and it is located near the
`anterior section of the neck, just below the hyoid bone. The
`aforementioned epiglottis is part of the larynx, as are the thyroid
`cartilage, the cricoid cartilage and the vocal folds. Both cartilages offer
`support and protection to other components, such as the vocal folds
`and the larynx itself. The thyroid cartilage also goes by a more common
`name – the Adam’s apple – although, contrary to popular belief, it is
`present in both men and women. It is typically more pronounced in
`adult males. The vocal folds are mucous membranes that tense up and
`vibrate in order to create sound, hence the term voice box. The pitch
`and volume of these sounds can be controlled by modifying the tension
`and speed of the vocal folds.
`
`5. Trachea
`
`The trachea is a longer section of the respiratory tract, shaped like a
`tube and approximately 5 inches in length. It has several C-shaped
`hyaline cartilage rings which are lined with pseudostratified ciliated
`columnar epithelium. (2) Those rings keep the trachea open for air all
`the time. They are C-shaped in order to allow the open end to face the
`esophagus. This allows the esophagus to expand into the area normally
`occupied by the trachea in order to permit larger chunks of food to pass
`through. The trachea, more commonly referred to as the windpipe,
`connects the larynx to the bronchi and also has the role of filtering the
`air prior to it entering the lungs. The epithelium which lines the cartilage
`rings produces mucus which traps harmful particles. The cilia then
`move the mucus upward towards the pharynx, where it is redirected
`towards the gastrointestinal tract in order for it to be digested.
`
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`Anatomy Of The Respiratory System
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`6. Bronchi
`
`The lower end of the trachea splits the respiratory tract into two
`branches that are named the primary bronchi. These first run into each
`of the lungs before further branching off into smaller bronchi. These
`secondary bronchi continue carrying the air to the lobes of the lungs,
`then further split into tertiary bronchi. The tertiary bronchi then split
`into even smaller sections that are spread out throughout the lungs
`called bronchioles. Each one of these bronchioles continues to split into
`even smaller parts called terminal bronchioles. At this stage, these tiny
`bronchioles number in the millions, are less than a millimeter in length,
`and work to conduct the air to the lungs’ alveoli. The larger bronchi
`contain C-shaped cartilage rings similar to the ones used in the trachea
`to keep the airway open. As the bronchi get smaller, so do the rings that
`become progressively more widely spaced. The tiny bronchioles do not
`have any kind of cartilage and instead rely on muscles and elastin.
`
`This system creates a tree-like pattern, with smaller branches growing
`from the bigger ones. At the same time, it also ensures that air from the
`trachea reaches all the regions of the lungs. Besides simply carrying the
`air, the bronchi and bronchioles also possess mucus and cilia that
`further refine the air and get rid of any leftover environmental
`contaminants. The walls of the bronchi and bronchioles are also lined
`with muscle tissue, which can control the flow of air going into the lungs.
`In certain instances, such as during physical activity, the muscles relax
`and allow more air to go into the lungs.
`
`7. Lungs
`
`The lungs are two organs located inside the thorax on the left and right
`sides. They are surrounded by a membrane that provides them with
`enough space to expand when they fill up with air. Because the left lung
`is located lateral to the heart, the organs are not identical: the left lung is
`
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`Anatomy Of The Respiratory System
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`smaller and has only 2 lobes while the right lung has 3. Inside, the lungs
`resemble a sponge made of millions and millions of small sacs that are
`named alveoli. These alveoli are found at the ends of terminal
`bronchioles and are surrounded by capillaries through which blood
`passes. Thanks to an epithelium layer covering the alveoli, the air that
`goes inside them is free to exchange gasses with the blood that goes
`through the capillaries.
`
`8. Muscles of Respiration
`
`The last component of the respiratory system is a muscle structure
`known as the muscles of respiration. These muscles surround the lungs
`and allow the inhalation and exhalation of air. The main muscle in this
`system is known as the diaphragm, a thin sheet of muscle that
`constitutes the bottom of the thorax. It pulls in air into the lungs by
`contracting several inches with each breath. In addition to the
`diaphragm, multiple intercostal muscles are located between the ribs
`and they also help compress and expand the lungs.
`
`Physiology of the Respiratory System
`The respiratory system has a complex physiology and is responsible for
`multiple functions. There are multiple roles performed by the
`respiratory system: pulmonary ventilation, external respiration, internal
`respiration, transportation of gases and homeostatic control of
`respiration. (3) Here is a brief description of each of those functions.
`
`Pulmonary Ventilation
`
`Pulmonary ventilation is the main process by which air flows in and out
`of the lungs. This is done through the contraction of muscles, as well as
`through a negative pressure system that is accomplished by the pleural
`membrane covering the lungs. When the lungs are completely sealed in
`
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`Anatomy Of The Respiratory System
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`Page 7 of 12
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`this membrane, they remain at a pressure that is slightly lower than the
`pressure of the lungs at rest. As a result of this, the air passively fills the
`lungs until there is no more pressure difference. At this point, if
`necessary, additional air can be inhaled by contracting the diaphragm as
`well as the surrounding intercostal muscles. During exhalation, the
`muscles relax and this reverses the pressure dynamic, increasing the
`pressure on the outside of the lungs and forcing air to escape them until
`both pressures equalize again. Thanks to the elastic nature of the lungs,
`they revert back to their state at rest and the entire process repeats
`itself.
`
`External Respiration
`
`External respiration is a process that allows an exchange of gases to
`take place between the air located in the alveoli and the blood that is
`traveling through the capillaries. This is possible through a difference in
`pressure between the oxygen and carbon dioxide located in the air, and
`the oxygen and carbon dioxide in the blood. As a result of this, oxygen
`from the air is transferred to the blood while carbon dioxide from the
`blood goes into the air. The useful oxygen is then carried out
`throughout the body while the carbon dioxide is dispelled through
`exhalation.
`
`Internal Respiration
`
`Internal respiration is a similar process except it involves gas exchange
`between the blood in the capillaries and body tissue. Again, a difference
`in pressure allows oxygen to leave the blood and enter the tissue while
`carbon dioxide does the opposite.
`
`Transportation of Gases
`
`This function of the respiratory system enables oxygen and carbon
`dioxide to travel throughout the body to wherever they are needed.
`
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`Anatomy Of The Respiratory System
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`Page 8 of 12
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`Most of the gases are carried through blood attached to transport
`molecules such as hemoglobin, although blood plasma will also have a
`minimal content of gas. Almost 99% of the entire oxygen found in the
`human body is transported by hemoglobin. Most of the carbon dioxide
`is transported from all areas of the body back to the lungs by plasma in
`the form of bicarbonate ions. This is created from a catalytic reaction
`(caused by a carbonic anhydrase enzyme) between water and carbon
`dioxide, which combine to form carbonic acid. The carbonic acid then
`splits into hydrogen and bicarbonate ions, with the latter eventually
`being transformed into carbon dioxide again, taken to the lungs and
`exhaled.
`
`Homeostatic Control of Respiration
`
`The last physiological role of the respiratory system is the homeostatic
`control of respiration or, in other words, the body’s ability to maintain a
`steady breathing rate. This is termed eupnea. This state should remain
`constant until the body has a demand for increased oxygen and carbon
`dioxide levels due to increased exertion, most likely caused by physical
`activity. When this happens, chemoreceptors will pick up on the
`increased partial pressure of the oxygen and carbon dioxide and send
`triggers to the brain. The brain will then signal the respiratory center to
`make adjustments to the breathing rate and depth in order to face the
`increased demands.
`
`References & Further Reading
`(1)   – National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute, “The Respiratory
`System”, https://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health/health-
`topics/topics/hlw/system.html.
`(2)   – InnerBody.com, “Respiratory
`System”, http://www.innerbody.com/anatomy/respiratory#full-
`
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`Anatomy Of The Respiratory System
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`Page 9 of 12
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`description.
`(3)   – University of California, San Diego, “Lectures in Respiratory
`Physiology”, http://meded.ucsd.edu/ifp/jwest/resp_phys/.
`
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