 Includes the passages that transport air to

and from the lungs, and the air sacs in which

gas exchange occur. It is the entire process
by which gases are exchanged between the
atmosphere and the body cells.
 Sequence of events that results in gas
exchange.
 In terrestrial vertebrates it includes 3 steps:
1. External respiration: Gas exchange
between air /atmosphere(in lungs)
and blood.
Blood then transport Oxygen to the
body tissue cells.
 2. Internal respiration: Gas exchange
between blood and tissue fluid.
Blood then transports carbon
dioxide to the lungs.

 3. Cellular respiration – is the process by

which cells get energy from the oxidation of
glucose.
Gas exhange surface
must be: Alveoli filled with air (gas) External
•Moist respiration
Carbon dioxide oxygen
•Thin
•Large in relation of
size of body
Blood – part of
circulatory system
contain red pigment
Process: Diffusion of – hemoglobin, to
gasses (oxygen and transport gasses
carbon dioxide

Internal
respination
oxygen Carbon dioxide
Body cells surrounded by tissue fluid
 It must have a rich supply of capillaries
through which blood may exchange gases
with air or water as the case may be.
 It must have walls sufficiently permeable to
allow osmosis of gases.
 It must be always moist to permit
permeability of gases.
 It must have a total wall surface, which
insures an adequate supply of oxygen for the
animal concerned.
 It must have a continuous access to fresh air.
 Is the process whereby an organism uses
oxygen and food to produce energy (ATP) and
2 by products e.g. water and carbon dioxide

 Glucose + O2 ATP + H2O + CO2

Therefore gaseous exchange is necessary for

to get oxygen for cellular respiration.
 Consists of:
1. Nose
2. Air passages:
 Pharynx
 Trachea
 Bronchus
 Bronchioles
3. Lungs – Alveoli
 Nose has a nasal cavity that
leads to the pharynx.
 Nasal cavity is lined with
cilia and hairs and goblet
cells that make mucus (anti-
septic and moisten air)–
filter the air – dust, pollen
and other foreign material
sticks to it.
 3 x turbinate bones divide
the nasal cavity into 4
passages – This enlarges the
surface of the nasal cavity –
For warming, cleaning and
moisten of air.
 Several surface blood
vessels help to warm air.
 Pharynx – pass air
form nose to trachea
via larynx.
 Trachea: long,
straight tube kept
open by C-shaped
cartilage rings.
 Trachea – lined with
cilia and goblet cells
(mucus production) –
traps foreign
particles
CILIA (SEM) TRACHEAL LINING
 Trachea divides in a
right and left
bronchus – consist of
C-shaped cartilage
rings and lined with Right bronchus-short
goblet cells (mucus) Branch in 3 Left bronchus – long,
 Bronchi branch in branch in 2
lung to form
bronchioles – branch
further and cartilage
rings disappears –
lead air to air sacs of
lung. Bronchiole
 Right lung (3 lobes -
shorter) and left lung (2
lobes – longer, narrow)
 Spongy, elastic pink
organ.
 Consists of several air
sacs called alveoli.
 Alveoli are grouped
together and form the
endings of the
bronchioles.
 Lined with single layer
squamous epithelial cells –
Thin easy diffusion of gas.
 Alveoli is surrounded by a
network of blood capillaries
– gasses diffuse into and
out of blood.
 Alveoli is lined with moist
layer – oxygen dissolves in
moisture and diffuses
through alveoli wall into
blood capillary.
 Pulmonary vein
Pulmonary
(Oxygenated
artery
blood)
(Deoxygenated
blood)

Turbinate bones

Pharynx
Alveoli

Trachea

Bronchus

Bronchiole

Diaphragm
SEM TEM
  INSPIRATION  EXPIRATION

Air inhaled
Air exhaled
Rib cage
expands Rib cage
as rib gets
muscles smaller as
contract rib muscles
relax

When pressure in
lungs increase –
When pressure in air is pushed out
INSPIRATION
lungs decrease –
Diaphragm EXPIRATION
Diaphragm
contracts relaxes
air rush in
(moves down) (moves up)
 Air moves in and out of the body via the same
route.
 All terrestrial vertebrates do this except for
birds.
 The lungs are not completely emptied during
each breathing cycle.
 The air entering mixes with used air
remaining in the lungs.
 This help to conserve water, but decreases
gas-exchange efficiency
 A spyrometer can be used to determine how
much air enters the lungs.
 Your lungs has a volume of +/- 5 liters.
 During a normal breath, only 0.5 liters of air is
exchanged – This air is known as tidal volume.
 During forced breathing, as much as 3.5 liters
of air can be exchanged, this is known as vital
capacity. (The fitter you are, the higher your
vital capacity.)
 +/- 1.5 liters of air always remains in the lungs
– this air is known as residual air/volume.
 Normal breathing rate for adults: 12 – 20
ventilations per minute.
 Respiratory Center in the Medulla Oblongata
of the brain controls breathing.
 The respiratory center send impulses through
the phrenic nerve to the diaphragm and
through the intercostal nerve to the
intercostal muscles to either contract or
relax. (Contract during inspiration and relax
during expiration)
 Brain

Respiratory center
automatically regulates
breathing

Intercostal nerves
stimulate the
intercostal muscles
Intercostal muscles

Pheric nerve stimulates

the diaphragm

Diaphragm
 If PO2 differs across a membrane – oxygen will
diffuse from a high to a low pressure.
 If PCO2 differs across a membrane – carbon
dioxide will diffuse from a high to a low
pressure.
 During inspiration the alveoli fills with air –
higher PO2 and lower PCO2 than blood.
 Oxygen diffuse from alveoli into blood and
carbon dioxide diffuse from blood into
alveoli.
 When blood reaches the tissue, cellular
respiration in cells causes the tissue fluid to
have a lower PO2 and a higher PCO2 than the
blood.
 Thus oxygen diffuse from a high pressure in
the blood to a low pressure in the tissue fluid
and eventually in the tissue cells.
 Carbon dioxide diffuse from a high pressure
in the tissue fluid to a low pressure in the
blood.
 The following lower respiratory tract
disorders are caused by exposure to
infectious pathogens and / or polluted air,
including tobacco smoke.
 Pneumonia
 Pulmonary Tuberculosis
 Emphysema
 Bronchitis
 Asthma
 Alveoli fill with pus and
fluid making gas
exchange difficult
X-ray of a
patient with
pneumonia

Bacteria streptococcus
can cause pneumonia
 Caused by a bacillus
bacterium
 Alveoli burst and fuse
into enlarged air
spaces. – Surface area
for gas exchange is
reduced.
 Airways are inflamed
due to infection (acute)
or due to an irritant
(Chronic). Coughing
brings up mucus and
pus.
 Airways are inflamed
due to irritation and
bronchioles constrict
due to muscle spasms
 Smoking causes almost 90% of all lung
cancers and is also a major cause of
emphysema.
Healthy normal Lung of a
lung of a non- smoker
smoker
 involves an uncontrolled
growth of abnormal cells
w/c develop in and around
the normal tissues, and
deprive them of nutrients.
Some cancerous growth in
lungs result from cancer
cells that spread from other
parts of the body, such as
the breast, alimentary tract,
liver or kidney. s/sx:
coughing, and blockage of
the airways. Treatments
include removal of part or
all of the lung,
chemotherapy and
radiation.