Pathway of Respiration:

1. Mouth and nose

a. Draws in air through nostrils and mouth
b. Filters, warms, and moistens the air
c. Then travels to the

2. Pharynx (throat)
a. Passage way for air and food

3. Larynx
a. Connects the pharynx to the trachea
b. Voice box (voice production, vocal cords)

4. Trachea (windpipe)
a. Rings of flexible cartilage to support it and keep it open if
pressure changes

5. Bronchi
a. Division of trachea into lungs
b. Subdivide into smaller and smaller branches
c. Also clean, warm, and moisten air

6. Lungs
a. Divided into lobes by fissures (or lines)
i. Left lung has 2 lobes
ii. Right lung has 3 lobes

7. Bronchioles
a. Smallest branches of the bronchi
b. The end bronchioles end in

8. Alveoli (air sacs)

a. Millions of clustered alveoli which look like bunches of
grapes
b. This is where gas exchange takes place
c. This also ties into the respiratory membrane or the air-
blood membrane
i. This is where the air from the alveoli is flowing past
the walls of the capillaries and being fused into the
membranes
1. Capillaries have walls that are as thin as tissue
paper
2. Oxygen enters the blood and the carbon
dioxide from the blood enters the alveoli
Most people think that when you breath your chest moves because
your lungs are expanding, but really, your chest expands to make room
for your lungs. This is done by the muscle that lies below your lungs
your diaphragm
When you breathe in (inhale) your diaphragm tightens
(contracts) and flattens to allow for your lungs to fill with air
When you breath out (exhale) your diaphragm relaxes and allows
the air to move out of the lungs

Smoking and your lungs:

Chemicals from cigarettes inflame the lungs and lead to an
overproduction of mucus (this is why most smokers have a
smokers cough)
The chemicals also break down the elastic walls of the lungs
causing them to not expand as well

Within weeks of quitting smoking the affects can start to reverse,

your lungs start to repair themselves. It is never to late to quit!