Respiration vs Ventilation

Respiration and ventilation are two different things.

Ventilation is mechanical and involves the movement of air, Respiration
is physiologic and involves the exchange of gases in the alveoli (external
respiration) and in the cells (internal respiration).

• RESPIRATION: The exchange of oxygen and carbon dioxide.

• VENTILATION: the mechanical drawing in and expelling out air via
breathing.
• OXYGENATION: oxygen dissolved in blood and body fluids; specifically,
this is the process of loading oxygen molecules onto hemoglobin
molecules in the bloodstream.

In medicine the process of moving air is called ventilation, respiration is

specifically the exchange of oxygen and carbon dioxide inside the alveoli of the
lungs.
EXTERNAL RESPIRATION: Within the alveoli, oxygen from the
air diffuses across the thin cell membrane and attaches to the red blood cells
which have a low concentration of oxygen. At the same time, the carbon dioxide-
rich deoxygenated red blood cells release carbon dioxide which diffuses across
the cell membrane to the area of a lower carbon dioxide concentration (the
inspired air in the lungs), for expiration.

INTERNAL RESPIRATION: The cells exchange gases with the red blood cells
in the capillaries in the same manner as the alveoli exchange gases. When this
occurs in the cells it is known as "internal respiration," as there is no exchange of
gases with the environment outside the body.