Breathing Mechanism in

Lesson Humans
3
What’s In

In our previous discussion, you already learned about the essential parts and
functions of the human respiratory system. This time, you will learn the mechanism and
activities of the lungs and diaphragm.
As a review describe the path of oxygen through the respiratory system by filling in
the map.

The Oxygen Treasure Map

Write the path of oxygen from outside of the body to the blood stream. Place the given list of
words below inside the box .

Larynx ,Trachea , Alveoli, Nasal Cavity , Capillary, Pharynx , Bronchi, Bronchioles.

Outside
the body

1 2 3

. 6 5 4

7 8 Blood
stream
 What I Need to Know

At the end of the lesson, you will be able to:

 Explain how the lungs work;
 Describe how the movement of the diaphragm helps the air go in and out of the lungs

What’s New

When Does Breathing Happens?

Have you been in a crowded place like in the gym watching intramural games? or
inside a crowded bus? You are in a hurry to get out and find a place where there are few
people so you can move freely. This situation is similar to the process that makes air move
in and out of the lungs.

Put your hands on your chest and breathe in deeply. You will feel your chest getting
bigger. Now breathe out the air, and feel your chest return to its original size. Why does your
chest move when you breathe?

As you breathe in (inhalation), your diaphragm muscle contracts and flattens out,
causing it to move downward and the rib muscles pull upward causing air to fill up the lungs.
Why is that so? When the diaphragm moves down and lifts the rib cage up causing the chest
to expand, they provide more room for air to rush in and fills your lungs. This also reduces
the force in your lungs so the air will move in from the outside. When it’s time to
exhale(breathe out), everything happens in reverse. Your diaphragm relaxes and the ribs
and lungs push in, causing the air out of the lungs.

What Is It

In this activity, you will be able to explain how lungs work, and describe how the
movement of the diaphragm helps the air go in and out of the lungs.

ACTIVITY 4: Bottled Balloons

Objectives:
 Explain how the lungs work
 Describe how the movement of the diaphragm helps the air go in and out of the lungs
Study the diagram below. Complete the table and answer the questions that follow.

Illustration by Eda J. Paragoso

Figure 4.The human breathing mechanism model

Guide Questions:
1. What does each part of the illustrated lung model represent in relation to the human
breathing system?

Parts of the lung model Parts of the human breathing

system
1. straw inserted on top of the bottle
2. plastic bottle
3. 2 small straws
4. 2 small balloons
5. big balloon at the bottom

2. What happens to the two small balloons inside as you pull down the big balloon at
the bottom of the model?
3. What happens to the two small balloons as you push up the big balloon at the
bottom?
4. How does the movement of the diaphragm cause the air go in and out of the lungs?
5. What might happen if you make a hole using a pointed object to any of the two small
balloons?

What’s More
 When you inhale or breathe in, your diaphragm muscle moves down and your chest
cavity expands. During inhalation, your ribs also move outward increasing the size of the
chest cavity. At this time your lungs have more space and less air pressure. So air from the
outside where there is higher air pressure rushes into the lungs. When you breathe out or
exhale, your diaphragm muscle moves up and the ribs move inward. Your chest cavity
returns to its original size. Your lungs now have less space and greater air pressure so the
air rushes outside where there is lower air pressure.

(optional)Watch the video “ Mechanics of Respiration” from this link

(https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hp-gCvW8PRY)

Directions. Fill up the missing gaps. Use the words inside the box below.

carbon dioxide heat oxygen water

deeper increases hot

When we exercise, our breathing rate 1.___________. We breathe faster and

2.__________. This is to get more 3.___________ to the cells of our body and get rid of
4._______________ and 5.___________. The oxygen we breathe combines with glucose to
release energy. This energy can be released as 6._________. This is why we feel 7.______
and sweaty.

What I Have Learned

The movement of your chest makes your lungs expand and contract. Your chest size
changes when you breathe because of the actions of your rib muscles and diaphragm
muscles. Study the diagram below and answer the questions that follow.

Illustration by Chris T. Sagarino

Choose the correct word and write it on the space provided.

1. When you inhale ( see figure A )

a. the ribs move ________________ ( inward OR outward )
b. the diaphragm moves _____________ ( upward OR downward )
c. there is now _______________ ( more OR less ) space in the chest area
 d. air rushes ________________ ( in OR out ) to fill the space

2. when you exhale ( see figure B )

a. the ribs move _______________ ( inward OR outward )
b. the diaphragm moves _____________ ( upward OR downward )
c. there is now ________________ ( more OR less ) space in the chest area
d. because of this pressure air moves ______________ ( in OR out ) of the lungs

What I Can Do

Do this activity to learn how exercise affects your breathing rate.

ACTIVITY 5: Just One Breath

Objectives:
 Describe what happens to your breathing rate after doing exercise.
 Explain why this happens.

Materials:
Stopwatch/timer
Record book/notebook

Think of this: What changes take place while you exercise? Write it down in your notebook
Procedure:
1. Sit quietly for 30 seconds.
2. Count your resting breathing rate (sitting position) for one minute.
3. Do jumping – jack for 30 seconds
4. Immediately after the jumping jacks, count your breathing rate for one minute.
5. Record your observation on the table below.

Activity Breathing rate/minute

1. Sitting position (at rest)
2. After jumping-jack

Breathing rate is the number of breaths (inhale and exhale) per minute
Guide Questions:
1. What was your recorded resting breathing rate (sitting position)?
2. What was your breathing rate after the exercise?
3. How would you differentiate your breathing rates before and after exercising?
4. When do you breathe faster? Why do you think you breathe faster during more
vigorous activities?
5. Other than exercise, what other factors do you think influence breathe/ minute? Why