Page 134 - Alaska A & P Primer

The major organs of the respiratory system function primarily to provide oxygen to body tissues for cellular respiration, remove the waste product carbon dioxide, and help to main- tain acid-base balance. Portions of the respiratory system are also used for non-vital func- tions, such as sensing odors, speech production, and for straining, such as during child- birth or coughing
22.1 Organs and Structures of the Respiratory System
Hold your breath. Really! See how long you can hold your breath as you continue read- ing...How long can you do it? Chances are you are feeling uncomfortable already. A typical human cannot survive without breathing for more than 3 minutes, and even if you wanted to hold your breath longer, your autonomic nervous system would take control. This is be- cause every cell in the body needs to run the oxidative stages of cellular respiration, the process by which energy is produced in the form of adenosine triphosphate (ATP).
For oxidative phosphorylation to occur, oxygen is used as a reactant and carbon dioxide is released as a waste product. You may be surprised to learn that although oxygen is a criti- cal need for cells, it is actually the accumulation of carbon dioxide that primarily drives your need to breathe. Carbon dioxide is exhaled and oxygen is inhaled through the respira- tory system, which includes muscles to move air into and out of the lungs, passageways through which air moves, and microscopic gas exchange surfaces covered by capillaries. The circulatory system transports gases from the lungs to tissues throughout the body and vice versa. A variety of diseases can affect the respiratory system, such as asthma, emphy- sema, chronic obstruction pulmonary disorder (COPD), and lung cancer. All of these condi- tions affect the gas exchange process and result in labored breathing and other difficulties.
Functionally, the respiratory system can be divided into a conducting zone and a respira- tory zone. The conducting zone of the respiratory system includes the organs and struc- tures not directly involved in gas exchange. The gas exchange occurs in the respiratory zone. Functionally, the respiratory system can be divided into a conducting zone and a res- piratory zone. The conducting zone
of the respiratory system includes the organs and structures not di- rectly involved in gas exchange. The gas exchange occurs in the res- piratory zone. While the root and bridge of the nose consist of bone, the protruding portion of the nose is composed of cartilage. As a re- sult, when looking at a skull, the nose is missing. The nasal bone is one of a pair of bones that lies un- der the root and bridge of the nose.
The cilia of the respiratory epithe- lium help remove the mucus and debris from the nasal cavity with a
22.1 OBJECTIVES
1. Describe how the respiratory system processes oxygen and CO2
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State of Alaska EMS Education Primer - 2016
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