The Respiratory System

How do the respiratory system and the circulatory

system work together?
The Respiratory System:
The Upper
Respiratory Tract
• Air enters the reparatory system
through the nose and mouth.

• Within the nose is the nasal

cavity, lined with mucus
secreting cells and hairs to trap
dust, bacteria and other particles
inhaled in the air. 
The Upper
Respiratory Tract
• The back of the nose and mouth lead
to the pharynx (your throat), through
which both food and air pass. 

• Air then passes into the larynx,

which contains your vocal cords;
two bands of tissue that vibrate with
air from your lungs to produce sound
(your voice).
 The Upper
Respiratory Tract

• To prevent food from travelling into the larynx, a

flap of tissue called the epiglottis covers the
entrance to the larynx when you swallow.  
The Upper
Respiratory Tract

• From the larynx, air passes into the

trachea. The trachea has mucus producing
cells and hair-like cilia to trap pollutants
and other particles that can be swept back
into the mouth.
 The Lower Respiratory Tract

• Includes the lungs, bronchi, bronchioles, and alveoli. 

• The lungs have lobes- right has 3, left has 2.

• Closer to the lungs, the trachea branches into two

smaller tubes called the bronchi. (BRONCHUS-
SINGULAR)

• The bronchi then branch several times into a network

of narrower tubes called bronchioles.
 The Lower Respiratory Tract

• The bronchioles end with a cluster of tiny

air pockets called alveoli, with very thin,
1-cell thick walls. 

• Each alveolus is surrounded by a network

of tiny blood vessels called capillaries;
this is where gas exchange occurs. 
Gas Exchange in the
lungs:
• Inhaled oxygen in the
alveoli diffuses into the
capillaries to be picked up
by red blood cells. 
• Carbon dioxide is released
from red blood cells in the
capillaries and diffuses into
the alveoli to be expelled
from the body during
exhalation. 
Gas Exchange at the
Body Cells:
• In our body tissue, oxygen
diffuses from oxygen rich blood to
the body cells, allowing them to
produce energy by cellular
respiration. 

• Carbon dioxide produced as a

byproduct of cellular respiration
diffuses from cells into the blood.
 Gas exchange follows a concentration
gradient:
• Differences in concentration of carbon dioxide and oxygen creates a
concentration gradient for gas exchange to occur.

• Gases will move in the direction of high to low concentration 

Gas exchange follows a concentration
gradient:
LUNGS BODY TISSUE

Alveoli (O2 rich, CO2 poor) Capillaries  (O2 rich, CO2 poor)

O2 CO2 O2 CO2

Body Cells after cellular respiration (O2

Capillaries (O2 poor, CO2 rich)  
poor, CO2 rich)  
 Carbon Dioxide and Homeostasis

• Too high: stimulated nerve cells

in the brain trigger faster and
deeper breaths to lower
concentration.

• Too low: nerve cells in the brain

that stimulate breathing are
inhibited and breathing slows.
BUILD YOUR OWN LUNGS
 Inhalation vs. Exhalation: 2 players

1) The lungs are surrounded by the rib cage with intercostal muscles
attached.

2) The diaphragm is a large dome shaped muscle located below the

lungs at the bottom of the chest cavity. At rest, the diaphragm is dome
shaped.
 ****Remember Volume
and pressure are
Inhalation vs. Exhalation inversely related

• During inhalation, the diaphragm contracts from its dome shape to flatten and lower in the chest cavity.

• The intercostal muscles of the rib cage also contract, causing the ribs to move outward.

• This increases the volume of the chest cavity, and thus the pressure decreases below the pressure of the outside,
causing air to naturally flow inward. (Inhale air)
 ****Remember Volume
and pressure are
Inhalation vs. Exhalation inversely related

• During exhalation, the diaphragm and intercostal muscles relax.

• The diaphragm moves upward, and the ribs move inward, decreasing the volume of the
chest cavity.

• Pressure in the lungs is now greater than the outside, and air flows out. (exhale air)