BACHELOR OF SCIENCE IN PHARMACOLOGY:

HUMAN PHYSIOLOGY AND PATHOPHYSIOLOGY

LABORATORY EXERCISE WEEK
RESPIRATORY SYSTEM
9 10
PHYSIOLOGY

At the end of this exercise, each student must be able to:

 Demonstrate understanding of the process or respiration
 Measure the respiratory rate
 Observe the mechanics of breathing
INSTRUCTIONS
 Review the anatomy of the respiratory system.
 Watch the following video links regarding the process of respiration
o https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ccKGzZXNKYs
o

 Accomplish Lab Report # 9

INTRODUCTION
Breathing is an involuntary event. Humans, when they are not exerting themselves, breathe
approximately 15 times per minute on average. The primary function of the respiratory system is to
deliver oxygen to the cells of the body’s tissues and remove carbon dioxide, a cell waste product.
Oxygen (O2) diffuses into the cells where it is used for metabolic reactions that produce ATP, a high-
energy compound. At the same time, these reactions release carbon dioxide (CO2) as a byproduct. CO2
is toxic in high amounts and must be eliminated. CO2 diffuses out of the cells, enters the bloodstream,
travels back to the lungs, and is expired out of the body during exhalation.

During inhalation, volume increases as a result of contraction of the diaphragm, and pressure
decreases (according to Boyle’s Law). This decrease of pressure in the thoracic cavity relative to the
environment makes the cavity less than the atmosphere. Because of this drop in pressure, air
rushes into the
respiratory passages. To increase the volume of the lungs, the chest wall expands. The chest wall
expands out and away from the lungs. The lungs are elastic; therefore, when air fills the lungs, the
elastic recoil within the tissues of the lung exerts pressure back toward the interior of the lungs. These
outward and inward forces compete to inflate and deflate the lung with every breath. Upon exhalation,
the lungs recoil to force the air out of the lungs, and the intercostal muscles relax, returning the chest
wall back to its original position. The diaphragm also relaxes and moves higher into the thoracic cavity.
This increases the pressure within the thoracic cavity relative to the environment, and air rushes out of
the lungs. The movement of air out of the lungs is a passive event. No muscles are contracting to expel
the air.

The number of breaths per minute is the respiratory rate. On average, under non-exertion conditions,
the human respiratory rate is 12–20 breaths/minute. The respiratory rate contributes to the alveolar
ventilation, or how much air moves in and out of the alveoli. Alveolar ventilation prevents carbon
dioxide buildup in the alveoli. When a person consciously holds her/his breath for a long period of time,
the CO2 level rises which causes the pH of the blood to decrease. This stimulates the respiratory
center and reflex breathing occurs. As CO2 is removed, the reaction proceeds to the left, thus removing
hydrogen ions and forming more CO2 for liberation from the body.

Retrieved from:
Lab 7: Respiratory systems. (2020, July 14). Biology
LibreTexts. https://bio.libretexts.org/Learning_Objects/Laboratory_Experiments/General_Biology_Labs/BIOL_11
08%3A_Principles_of_Biology_II_Lab_Manual_(Burran_and_DesRochers)/Lab_07%3A_Respiratory_Systems CC
BY-NC-SA 3.0
 HUMAN PHYSIOLOGY AND PATHOPHYSIOLOGY LABORATORY
Lab Report # 9: RESPIRATORY SYSTEM PHYSIOLOGY

NAME: SOPHIA NICOLE ROSALES Date: April 10, 2021

Year and Section: 1-Y2-2

I. Respiratory rate measurement

 Choose your subject.
 Make him sit comfortably on a chair.
 Count the number of breaths for a full minute by watching his chest rise and fall as he breathes
in and out. Do not let your subject know that you are counting his breathing
 Record his respiratory rate.
 Show proof of performance of the task by attaching pictures. Make sure you are included in the
pictures.

My brother’s respiratory rate in a full minute is 17 breathes.

  Answer the following questions:
o 1. What are the factors which increase and decrease the respiratory rates in
healthy individuals?
Oxygen will only affect a dangerously low breathing while the carbon dioxide is
the main influence of this. The respiratory will stimulated to increase the rate of
breathing if the carbon dioxide increase. Drugs can cause the decrease of the
respiratory rate. Exposure to dangerous chemicals of carbon monoxide can slow
the breathing rate of a person.

o 2. Why should you measure the respiratory rate for a full minute or 60 seconds and not
for 30 seconds multiplied by 2?
Because measuring the respiratory rate in a full minute measures the accurate. It can support to
identify the exact or right rate. If you measure the respiratory rate in a half minute and multiplied by
two, it may have different respiratory rate and may cause a problem. Because respiration can
change anytime, and we are not sure if the first measurement in a full minute is the same in a half
minute that multiplied by two.

II. Put one hand on your chest and breathe in and out. Describe your observations during each
inspiration and expiration. Breathe in and out more forcefully and record your observations.
Compare what happens between normal breathing and more forceful breathing.

Put one hand on your chest and breathe in and
out.
When I count my breathe in and out, I counted 16.
The inspiration and expiration are both 8 with a
total of 16 counts in a full minute.
Breathe in and out more forcefully.
When I breathe in and out forcefully, I counted 36.
The inhaling and exhaling are both 18 with a total
of 36 counts in a full minute.

The normal respiration for an adult is 12 to 20 breathes per minute. I counted 16 breathes and it is normal.
When I breathe forcefully, I counted 36 breathes because forceful breathing needs an increase of oxygen in my
body. It seems like I am forcing to breathe doing nothing or not moving at all. It is hard to breathe forcefully when I
did not do anything and my body does not need to increase oxygen.

III. Trace the pathway of air (oxygen and carbon dioxide) from the nose to the alveoli in the lungs and
back to the atmosphere. Explain.

The breathing starts from nose and mouth. It will continue to the airways and lungs. The air passes
down to the pharynx and larynx. The of larynx is covered by epiglottis. The trachea is the largest airway that
branches the two smaller airways which are the left and right bronchi and leads to the two lungs. The alveoli
will find at the end of bronchiole. And lastly, the pleura is a slippery membrane that covers the lungs.

IV. What are the processes of pulmonary respiration? Explain each process.

Inspiration and expiration are the processes of pulmonary respiration. Inspiration is the process where
the chest enlarges because of contraction of muscles. At start of inspiration, the diaphragm will contract and
flatten that will press down the abdominal and lift the ribcage. While expiration will return the chest into their
resting position and the volume of chest cavity and lungs will decrease.

References:
Dresden, Danielle. (2018, November 12). “What to know about bradypnea?”. Retrieved from
https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/323647
Dezube, Rebecca. (2021, March). “Overview of the Respiratory System”. Retrieved from
https://www.msdmanuals.com/home/lung-and-airway-disorders/biology-of-the-lungs-and-airways/overview-of-
the-respiratory-system
Ford, Steve. (2006, June 13). “The Respiratory System”. Retrieved from https://www.nursingtimes.net/clinical-
archive/respiratory-clinical-archive/the-respiratory-system-part-4-breathing-13-06-2006/