RESPIRATIO

N
 Human breathing mechanism
• Respiration = chemical process whereby
energy is released from glucose or other
simple substances
Glucose + oxygen energy + carbon dioxide + water

• Oxygen taken into body when we breathe

• Glucose from food we eat
• Exchange of gases known as breathing
Structure of human respiratory
system
Structure of lung
• Lungs are made up of :
– bronchioles
– Alveoli (singular : alveolus)
– Blood capilaries
• Lungs are protected by rib cage
• Thoracic cavity = houses of the lung
Flow of air from the atmosphere to
the lungs
Nostril

Nasal cavity

Trachea

Bronchus

Bronchiole

Alveolus
• Gaseous exchange takes
place in the lungs by diffusion
An alveolus has adaptations to allow it
to exchange gases effectively.
• Large number – to increase surface area
• Moist – to dissolve gas before diffuse into
blood
• Network of blood capillary- to transport
gas faster
• Alveolus one cell thick-gas easy to diffuse
 The breathing mechanism
• Process of taking air into lung = inhalation
• Air enter lung = inhaled air
• Process of expelling air from lung =
exhalation
• Air expelled from lung = exhaled air
Inhalation
Exhalation
Inhalation Exhalation

External intercostal External intercostal

muscles contract muscles relax
Rib cage moves upwards Rib cage moves moves
and outwards downwards and inwards
The diaphragm contracts The diaphragm relaxes
and flatens and curves upwards
The volume of the The volume of the
thoracic cavity increase thoracic cavity decrease
The air pressure in the The air pressure in the
thoracic cavity decreases thoracic cavity inreases
Air enters the lungs Air is forced out of the
lungs
 The breathing mechanism
Glass tube
Bell jar
Balloon expand Balloon contract

Rubber sheet
 Explanation for breathing mechanism using
bell jar
• Bell jar = rib cage
• Balloons = lungs
• Rubber sheet = diaphragm
• When rubber sheet is pulled downwards, air
pressure inside bell jar is lowered. Balloons
expand
• When rubber sheet is pulled upwards, air
pressure inside bell jar increased. Balloons
contract
 Transport of oxygen in the human
body
• Involve the following process
– Diffusion of oxygen from the alveoli into blood
capillaries
– Transport of oxygen by red blood cells
– Diffusion of oxygen from the blood capillaries into
cells
• Oxygen – diffuse from alveoli to the blood
capillary
• Carbon dioxide - diffuse from blood capillary to
the alveoli
Gas exchange in alveolus
• Oxyigen are not soluble in red blood cell
• red blood cell contain pigment - haemoglobin
red in coloured
• Oxygen will combine with haemoglobin
• Haemoglobin + Oxygen -> oxyhaemoglobin
Improtance of healthy respiratory
system
 Effect of smoke to respiratory
system
• Cigarette smoke contains irritants chemical :
• A carcinogen - an agent directly involved in
causing cancer.
• Nicotine – cause addicted
• Carbon monoxide – cause death
• Sulfur oxide – acidic = damages lung tissues
• Tar – blackens the lungs and causes them to be
less efficient for gaseous exchange