GASEOUS EXCHANGE

BREATHING
BREATHING IN (INHALATION)
• When you breath IN, these things happen
1. Intercostal muscle contract. This pull the ribs upward and outwards
2. The muscles in the diaphragm contract. This pull diaphragm
downward
3. This two movement make more space inside the chest cavity. And
increase the volume inside it
4. When the volume increase the pressure inside the lungs decreases
5. Air moves down through the trachea into the lungs to fill the extra
space.
BREATHING OUT (EXHALATION)
• When you breath OUT, these things happen
1. Intercostal muscle RELAX. This allow ribs to drop down into their
natural position
2. The muscles in the diaphragm RELAX. This allow the diaphragm to
return to its normal domed shape
3. This two movement make less space in the chest cavity. And
decreases the volume inside it
4. When the volume decreases the pressure inside the lungs increases
5. Air is squeezed out of the lungs
 AIR SACS
• The lungs contains tiny air holes

• These tiny air holes are called Air sacs

• Another name for them is Alveoli

• There are also tiny blood vessels around the air sacs. These blood
vessels are capillaries
Air Sacs

Blood capillary

air sac
Air sac
• The air sac has a wall made up of a single layer of cells

• This cells are very thin.

• They are thin to reduce the distance for oxygen and carbon dioxide to
diffuse
• Blood capillary surround the outside of the air sac ( alveolus)
• The walls of the capillaries are also made up of single layer of very
thin cells
Gaseous exchange in the air sacs
• In the air sacs oxygen from the air goes into the blood and carbon
dioxide from the blood goes into the air.

• This is called Gas exchange

The exchange of oxygen and carbon dioxide in the air sacs occurs by
diffusion