Respiratory System

Respiratory System

By: Bianca Villarba

For my second blog post I will be discussing the process of respiration. This is a topic we are currently learning about in science. Respiration is the action or process of inhaling oxygen and exhaling carbon dioxide. I will walk you through this process. 

First, air enters through the external nares, where it then travels to the nasal cavity to be cleansed, moistened, and warmed. From there, the air passes through a pair of internal nares into the pharynx. Both food and air pass through the pharynx, however the food will travel down the esophagus, while the air will enter the larynx. During the process of which you swallow food, the opening of the larynx is closed off by a flap of tissue known as the epiglottis. The larynx is also known as the voice box or Adam’s apple and contains the vocal cords. Air passing over the vocal cords causes them to vibrate and emit sound. Air then travels down the trachea where it then branches into the bronchi. Each bronchus divides into smaller tubes called bronchioles which end in microscopic pouches called alveoli. There are several hundred million of these in the adult human. A network of capillaries surrounds each alveolus. This is where the exchange of gases between air and blood stream take place. Surrounding each lung is a tissue known as the pleura which secretes a liquid that protects the lungs from friction. 

There are three types of respiration: cellular respiration, interior respiration, and exterior respiration. Thank you for listening to my blog post, have a great day.