RESPIRATORY SYSTEM
There are about 600 million alveoli (air sacs) in your lungs and if you stretched them out, they would cover an entire tennis court.
Lung on the left side of the body is a bit smaller than the lung on the right.This extra space on the left leaves room for your heart.
You breathe over 5000 times everyday
When you hiccup, its because the diaphragm moves in a funny way that causes you to breathe in air suddenly , and that air hits your vocal cords when you’re not ready.
When you are sleepy or drowsy the lungs do not take enough oxygen from the air. This causes a shortage of oxygen in our bodies. The brain senses this shortage of oxygen and sends a message that causes you to take a deep long breath---a YAWN.
Sneezing is like a cough in the upper breathing passages. It is the body's way of removing an irritant from the sensitive mucous membranes of the nose. Many things can irritate the mucous membranes. Dust, pollen, pepper or even a cold blast of air are just some of the many things that may cause you to sneeze.
Objectives
If you have completed this module, you should be able to:
- Discuss the generalized functions of the respiratory system.
- List the major organs of the respiratory system and describe the function of each.
- Discuss some of the mathematical implications involved in the system.