Respiratory System
The respiratory system is the place in the body where all gas exchange takes place. The respiratory system is responsible for obtaining oxygen and removing carbon dioxide and other wastes from the body. Some of the organs in the respiratory system are the nasal cavity, the pharynx, the epiglottis, the larynx, the trachea, the bronchi, and the lungs. Food and oxygen enter the respiratory system through the pulmonary artery and the aorta. Oxygen and wastes leave through the pulmonary vein and the superior vena cava. Most of the interstitial fluid is filtered in the axilary nodes.
The air enters and exits the body through the nose and mouth. In the nose the air passes through the nasal cavity and into the pharynx. Air moves through the pharynx and is prevented from entering the digestive tract by the epiglottis.
Once the air passes the epiglottis it enters the larynx, or voice box. Inside the larynx is thyroid cartilage which surrounds the thyroid gland, and is the Adam's Apple. The larynx is very small and quickly empties into the trachea.
After the air passes through the larynx it travels farther downward and makes its way into the trachea. The trachea is located to the anterior of the esophagus, and is better known as the wind pipe. The trachea splits after a while into the left and right bronchi.
The bronchi are the next step in the respiratory system. They begin as two cartilage tubes but gradually branch into smaller and smaller tubules, eventually turning into alveolar ducts, inside the lungs.
The Lungs are perhaps the most important organ(s) in the body. The purpose of the lungs is to make gas exchange with the outside world. The lungs expel wastes like carbon dioxide, while at the same time they take in oxygen, the most important gas for life. The gas exchange takes place in the alveolar sacs. The lungs are surrounded and protected by the ribs and intercostal muscles.
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