Respiratory System
Being able to breathe is a necessity of life! By watching these videos, reading the articles, watching the animations, and playing the games you should be masters of the respiratory system. And even if you cannot understand all of it, like the complicated information, at least make sure you know the basics by heart! By we are confident if you pay attention to the videos and take excellent notes while watching, you should not have the slightest problem with the twenty-five question quiz or any questions that Miss. Rossman could ask you about this system!
An Overview of the Respiratory System
The function of the respiratory system is to get oxygen into the body and get
rid of the carbon dioxide. Lungs are the most important organs in the
respiratory system. They connect the body to the outside air. The major
functional unit of the respiratory system is the alveolus; this is where the
exchange of oxygen and carbon dioxide takes place. The alveolus has a folded
membrane which increases the surface area, which in turn increases the
efficiency of diffusion of oxygen and carbon dioxide. They are wrapped in a
thick bed of capillaries, which are only one cell thick, so the oxygen from the
oxygenated blood can diffuse across with ease, and the carbon dioxide through
the deoxygenated blood. Hemoglobin is what allows blood to carry oxygen
throughout the body. The way hemoglobin works is when it obtains its first
oxygen molecule, the protein structure goes through a conformational change
increasing the affinity to oxygen. So basically, after the first oxygen meets
the hemoglobin, it changes its shape to allow for three more molecules of oxygen
to also bind to hemoglobin. Now it is carrying four oxygen per hemoglobin to
travel to wherever needed throughout the body. Now to learn about inhalation,
inhalation occurs when we take air in from the atmosphere and the atmospheric
pressure changes. The pressure due to the weight of the air is what drags it
into the lungs. The diaphragm contracts which increases negative pressure which
generates airflow because of the pressure difference between the atmosphere and
the alveolus. Exhalation is the opposite; the diaphragm relaxes causing the
depressed tissue to rise quickly to put pressure on the air forcing it out of
the lungs.
rid of the carbon dioxide. Lungs are the most important organs in the
respiratory system. They connect the body to the outside air. The major
functional unit of the respiratory system is the alveolus; this is where the
exchange of oxygen and carbon dioxide takes place. The alveolus has a folded
membrane which increases the surface area, which in turn increases the
efficiency of diffusion of oxygen and carbon dioxide. They are wrapped in a
thick bed of capillaries, which are only one cell thick, so the oxygen from the
oxygenated blood can diffuse across with ease, and the carbon dioxide through
the deoxygenated blood. Hemoglobin is what allows blood to carry oxygen
throughout the body. The way hemoglobin works is when it obtains its first
oxygen molecule, the protein structure goes through a conformational change
increasing the affinity to oxygen. So basically, after the first oxygen meets
the hemoglobin, it changes its shape to allow for three more molecules of oxygen
to also bind to hemoglobin. Now it is carrying four oxygen per hemoglobin to
travel to wherever needed throughout the body. Now to learn about inhalation,
inhalation occurs when we take air in from the atmosphere and the atmospheric
pressure changes. The pressure due to the weight of the air is what drags it
into the lungs. The diaphragm contracts which increases negative pressure which
generates airflow because of the pressure difference between the atmosphere and
the alveolus. Exhalation is the opposite; the diaphragm relaxes causing the
depressed tissue to rise quickly to put pressure on the air forcing it out of
the lungs.
|
Questions regarding the video
|
Here are some guided questions that you should be able to answer after watching this video:
1.) What is the main function of the respiratory system? 2.) How do worms take oxygen in and circulate it out? 3.) In insects, what aids in the intake of oxygen into the body? 4.) What is unique about fish's environment that enables them to have gills? How do they work? 5.) Why is it important that our lungs have a wide surface area? How does this factor aid in the efficiency of our respiratory system? 6.) How does the alveoli's structure aid in the efficiency of its function within the lungs? 7.) Briefly, describe how oxygen enters the body. 8.) What is hemoglobin's role? 9.) What does hemoglobin convert oxygen to? 10.) What other system runs parallel with the respiratory system? Be able to answer these in your head clearly and accurately after watching the video. |
If you are still struggling, here are some helpful animations: |
Here are some guided questions that you should be able to answer about the picture:
1.) Why do you think the capillary beds maintain a large surface area? 2.) Capillaries play an important role during the process of oxygen and nutrient distribution within the body. What about the structure of the capillaries aids in the function that they perform within the body? 3.) If the capillaries consumed less surface area, and were larger in form, what would happen to the efficiency of oxygen and nutrients to the body and why? Be able to answer these in your head clearly and accurately after watching both videos and the information that you can draw from looking at the image on the right. |