What is respiration?

Respiration is a great term in which

several steps are included, they are:
1. Pulmonary ventilation
2. Diffusion
3. Transport of oxygen and carbon dioxide
4. Systemic exchange
What is difference between
respiration and ventilation?
 Ventilation:  Respiration:
Ventilation is just the Respiration is the whole
movement of air in and out process of exchange of
of the lungs. gases at cellular level
Mechanisms of breathing :

To properly perform the function of

ventilation we need some kind of
pressures or forces to act in our body,
these are:
Muscle work
pressures
Muscles that cause lung
expansion and contraction:

Lungs can be expanded and contracted by

two ways:
By downward or upward movement of
diaphragm,
By elevating or depressing ribs.
Muscle work:
Muscles of respiration :
Muscles of inspiration:
External intercostal muscles,
sternocleidomastoid, anterior serrati and
scalene muscles.
Muscles of expiration:
Internal intercostal muscles, abdominal
recti muscles.
Pressures that cause
movement of air in and out:
Pleural pressure:
This pressure is normally a slight
suction, which means a slight negative
pressure. The normal pleural pressure at
the beginning of inspiration is about -5
cm of water, which is the amount of
suction required to hold the lung open to
their resting level.
Alveolar pressure:
To cause inward flow of air into the lung alveolar
pressure decreases to about -1 cm of water. This
slight negative pressure is enough to pull 0.5
liters of air into the lungs in 2 seconds. During
expiration, alveolar pressure rises to about 1 cm
of water, which forces 0.5 liter of inspired air out
of the lung.
Transpulmonary pressure:
It is the pressure difference between alveolar and
pleural pressure. It is the measure of elastic
forces of lings that tend to collapse at each
instant of respiration also called recoil pressure.
Graphical presentation:
Lungs Compliance :
Lung compliance, or pulmonary compliance, is ability of
lungs to stretch or expand by applied pressure.
Normal compliance of both lungs is 200 ml.

Factor Affecting Lungs Compliance :

Elasticityof tissue.
Surface Tension
Significance of lungs
Compliance :
A decreased compliance might show
restrictive lung diseases.
Compliance is useful for measure of stiffness
of Lungs.
If the lung is more stiffer the less will be the
Compliance.
65% work of breathing check by Compliance
as the Compliance is low it requires more
energy of lungs muscles to inflate.
 Factors that decrease the
lung compliance :
Destruction of lung tissue
Obstruction of bronchioles
Kyphosis

Scoliosis
Restrictive lung diseases
Fibrosis
Surface Tension of lungs :
Itis the force that is exerted by surface
tension of the fluid lining inside wall of
alveoli .

Function:
It causes lung to collapse
Alveolar ventilation :
Alveolar ventilation is the exchange of
gas between the alveoli and the external
environment
Where the body take in Oxygen And
Remove carbon dioxide
If alveolar ventilation is high body will
remove CO2 more and pressure will
decrease it is called hyperventilation
Pulmonary volumes :
Tidal volume : Amount of air inhaled or exhaled
during one respiratory cycle (500 ml).
Inspiratory Reserved Volume : Amount of air that can
be forcibly inhaled after normal tidal volume .
(3000ml)
Expiratory Reserved Volume : Amount of air that can
be forcibly exhale after normal tidal volume (1200ml)
Residual Volume : Amount of air remaining in the
lungs after maximal exhalation.(1300ml)
Total Lung Capacity:
the maximum volume of air the lungs can
accommodate .(6000ml)

Vital Capacity :
maximum amount of air that can be expired
forcefully after deep inspiration . VC =
TV+IRV+ERV =4700ml
Inspiratory Capacity :
maximum amount of air that can be inspired
after normal expiration IC =Tv
+IRV=3500ml

Functional Residual Volume:

amount of air remaining in lugs after
normal expiration
 FRC = RV+ERV=2500ml
 Olfaction :
Olfactory receptors present in mucous membrane of
nostril are responsible for olfactory sensation.

 Vocalozation :
Along with other structures, larynx forms the speech
apparatus. However, larynx alone plays major role
in the process of vocalization.
 Therefore, it is called sound box.
 Prevention of dust
particles :
Dust particles, which enter the nostrils from air,
are prevented from reaching lungs by filtration
action of hairs in nasal mucous membrane.
Small particles, which escape hairs, are held by
mucous secreted by nasal mucous membrane.
Those dust particles, which escape nasal hairs
and nasal mucous membrane are removed by
phagocytic action of macrophages in alveoli.
Particles, which escape protective mechanisms in
nose and alveoli are thrown out by cough reflex
and sneezing reflex.
 Maintenance of water balance :
 Respiratory tract plays a role in water loss mechanisms.
 During expiration, water evaporates through the expired air and some
amount of body water is lost by this process.

 Regulation of body temperature :

 During expiration, along with water, heat is also lost from the body.
 Thus respiratory tract plays a role in heat loss mechanism.

 Regulation of acid base balance :

 Lungs play role in maintenance of acid – base balance of the body by
regulating the carbon dioxide content in blood.
 Carbon dioxide is produced during various metabolic reactions in the
tissues of body.
 When it enters blood, carbon dioxide combines with water to form
carbonic acid.
Since carbonic acid is unstable, it splits into
hydrogen and bicarbonate ions.
 Entire reaction is reversed in lungs when carbon
dioxide is removed from blood into alveoli of lungs.
As carbon dioxide is a volatile gas, it is practically
blown out by ventilation.
When metabolic activities are accelerated, more
amount carbon dioxide is produced in tissues.
Concentration of H ion is also increased.
This leads to reduction in pH.
Increased H ion concentration causes increased
pulmonary ventilation by acting through various
mechanisms like chemoreceptors in aortic and
carotid bodies and in medulla of the brain.
Due to hyperventilation, excess of carbon dioxide
is removed from body fluids and pH is brought
back to normal.