The nose is the body's primary organ of smell and also functions as part of the body's respiratory system.
The epiglottis is a flap of skin that prevents food and drink from going down the windpipe and into the lungs.
Pharynx
The pharynx is the membrane-lined cavity behind the nose and mouth, connecting them to the esophagus. The pharynx is also the part of the digestive tract that receives food from your mouth.
The function of the bronchioles is to ensure that incoming air is supllied to each alvoelus. They are located in each lung.
The larynx is the hollow muscular organ forming an air passage to the lungs and holding the vocal cords in humans and other mammals; the voice box.
The nasal cavity is a large air filled space above and behind the nose in the middle of the face. Each cavity is the continuation of one of the two nostrils.The function of the nasal cavity is to warm, moisturize, and filter air entering the body before it reaches the lungs.
A bronchus, also known as a main or primary bronchus, is an airway in the respiratory tract that conducts air into the lungs. There is a right bronchus and a leftbronchus and these bronchi branch into smaller secondary and tertiary bronchiwhich branch into smaller tubes, known as bronchioles.
The trachea is a large membranous tube reinforced by rings of cartilage, extending from the larynx to the bronchial tubes and conveying air to and from the lungs. It is an integral part of the body's airway and has the vital function of providing air flow to and from the lungs for respiration.
The diaphragm is the primary muscle used in the process of inspiration, or inhalation. It is a dome-shaped sheet of muscle that is inserted into the lower ribs, Laying at the base of the thorax, it seperates the abdominal cavity from the thoracic cavity.
Intercostal muscles are several groups of muscles that run between the ribs, and help form and move the chest wall. The intercostal muscles are mainly involved in the mechanical aspect of breathing. These muscles help expand and shrink the size of the chest cavity to facilitate breathing.
Cilia
A goblet cell is a glandular, modified simple columnar epithelial cell whose function is to secrete gel-forming mucins, the major components of mucus. The goblet cells mainly use the merocrine method of secretion, secreting vesicles into a duct, but may use apocrine methods, budding off their secretions, when under stress.
An alveolus is a word used in anatomy for hollow cavities, which are empty areas in a body.
VOCABULARY
Ventilation - movement of the ribs, rib muscles and diaphragm that allows air into and out of the lungs. This is also called breathing. When you breathe in, that is inhalimg. When you breathe out, that is exhaling.
Inspiration - The process of breathing (ventilation) is divided into two distinct phases, inspiration (inhalation) and expiration (exhalation). During inspiration, the diaphragm relaxes, and the volume of the thoracic cavity decreases, while the pressure inside increases. As a result, the lungs contract and air is let out.
Gaseous Exchange - The main function of the respiratory system is gaseous exchange. This refers to the process of oxygen and carbon dioxide moving between the lungs and blood. Diffusion occurs during gaseous exchange as the blood in the capillaries surrounding the aveoli has a lower oxygen concentration than the air in the aveoli which has just been inhaled.
Inhaling and exhaling - During the process of inhalation, the lung volume expands as a result of the contraction of the diaphragm and intercostal muscles, thus expanding the thoracic cavity and moving the ribcage up. Due to this increase in volume, the pressure is decreased. This decrease of pressure in the thoracic cavity relative to the enviroment makes the cavity pressure less than the atmospheric pressure. Upon exhalation. the lungs recoil to force the air out of the lungs. The intercostal muscles relax, returning the chest wall to its original position. During exhalation the diaphragm also relaxes, moving higher into the thoracic cavity. This increases the pressure within the thoracic cavity relative to the enviroment. Air rushes out of the lungs due to the pressure gradient between the thoracic cavity and the atmosphere. This movement of air out of the lungs is classified as a passive event since there are no muscles contracting to expel the air.
The pathway - Air enters the nostrils and passes through the nasopharynx, then the oral pharynx. Then the air passes through the glottis and into the trachea. Next it flows into the left and right bronchi which branches and rebranches into the bronchioles, each of which terminates in a cluster of aveoli.