....The main job of the respiratory system is to supply, or give, oxygen to the
blood so it can deliver oxygen to the rest of the body. Our respiratory system
does this by breathing.When we breathe, we inhale oxygen and exhale carbon
dioxide. This is how oxygen gets tothe rest of the body. We breathe through
the mouth, nose, trachea, lungs, and diaphragm.

....First, we breathe in oxygen thorugh the nose and mouth. Then, the oxygen
we breathe in passes through the larynx and the trachea. The trachea splits into
two smaller tubes called the bronchi. Each of the bronchi divides again, forming
the bronchial tubes. The bronchial tubes go directly into the lungs where they
divide into many smaller tubes which connect to tiny sacs called alveoli. The inhaled
oxygen passes into the alveoli and then it spreads out through the capillaries into
the blood. The the waste from the blood in the veins releases its carbon dioxide
into the alveoli. The carbon dioxide follows the same path out of the lungs when
you exhale.

....The diaphragm's job helps to pump the carbon dioxide out of the lungs and
pull the new oxygen into the lungs. The diaphragm is a bunch of muscles that lie
across the bottom of the chest cavity.As the diaphragm contracts and relaxes,
breathing takes place. When the diaphragm contracts, oxygen is pulled into the
lungs. When the diaphragm relaxes, carbon dioxide is pumped out of the lungs.
The lungs are the most important organ in the respiratory system.

....This system then is mainly about breathing. We breathe an average of about
35 times a minute. At rest, we breathe about 14-16 times a minute, but when
we exercise you breathe 70 times a minute.

Some people have breathing problems and that could mean that they have asthma.

Take a Respiratory System Quiz .....................Go Home