Plus; why humans get hiccups!

By: Julia D.

Oxygen enables living things to metabolize, or burn, nutrients, releasing the energy required to grow, reproduce, and maintain life. The respiratory system enables living organisms to take in the oxygen necessary to function. All organisms need a transportation system to carry oxygen to their cells and carbon dioxide away, this process is know as breathing or respiration. Did you know that on average children breathe at least sixty times per minute!

The organs and structures that carry out respiration, however, vary depending on the complexity of the organism. Many of these systems involved in respiration may also cause various diseases and be infected if the body is not treated properly.

The respiratory system is made up of organs that help us breathe. The airways in the respiratory system are divided into upper and lower sections. The division of the two is located at the level of the voice box or larynx. The upper airway encases the nose, throat, pharynx, and the voice box. The lower airway contains the larynx, the lungs, and the windpipe or trachea and its branches. The mouth is also part of the airways and used when vocalizing or when the nose is blocked.

The lungs are the main organs of the respiratory system and have more than 600 million alveoli in the average person. The alveoli are air cells of the lungs formed by the "terminal dilation" of the airways. The blood carries carbon dioxide to the alveoli and receives oxygen in exchange which is circulated to every cell. The purpose of the trachea is to filter the air we breathe, and when you breathe the diaphragm contracts making it the main muscle used for breathing.

Respiration can be divided into two processes; organismic respiration and cellular respiration. Organismic respiration is the process by which animals take in oxygen from the environment and carry it to the cells of their tissues. During this process carbon dioxide is carried away from the cells and released into the environment. Cellular respiration is used in chemical reactions within the cells and involves the breakdown of glucose and ATP.

Breathing is a process of inhalation and exhalation; otherwise known as , inspiration or expiration. During inspiration the external intercostal muscles contract, lifting the ribs up and out. The diaphragm then contracts, drawing it down. During expiration, these processes are reversed and the natural elasticity of the lungs returns them to their normal value.   

The respiratory system is subject to a wide a wide variety of different ailments such as bacterial infections, allergic diseases, and serious respiratory disorders. The most frequent attacks come from the common cold and flu viruses. Others include pneumonia and tuberculosis which affect the lungs. Other serious respiratory disorders consist of respiratory distress syndrome, paralysis of the respiratory nerve center, emphysema, and lung cancer. Finally, some diseases are caused by a genetic defect and cystic fibrosis is just one that causes unnecessary mucus that blocks the airways.

There are three main organs that aid in respiration. One of them is called the diaphragm and it is the main muscle we use for breathing. If the diaphragm becomes infected it could cause an involuntary intake of air causing a spasm or to occur. 

The respiratory system, out of the many organ systems, is the most vital. All of the parts of the body depend on oxygen to function, and without the respiratory system, the oxygen could not be delivered to maintain life.  

Go To..

Emily's Webpage: Breathing and Lungs

Works Cited

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