Video - Respiratory system anatomy and physiology

The respiratory system is the system of the body responsible for breathing, which is the process of taking in oxygen and expelling carbon dioxide. Structures of the respiratory system include the nose, paranasal sinuses, pharynx, larynx, trachea, bronchi, bronchioles, alveoli, pleura, and lungs. The lungs are the main organs of the respiratory system, are located in the thoracic cavity, and are protected by the rib cage. They are two: the right lung and the left lung, and are separated by the mediastinum.

The structure of the lungs is subdivided into a conducting zone and a respiratory zone. The respiratory and conducting zones have different functions and are, therefore, lined with different structures to perform these functions. Oxygen in the air is inhaled and makes its way through the pharynx, larynx, trachea, large upper airways, conducting bronchioles, respiratory bronchioles, the alveoli, and finally the capillaries to be sent to the body's tissue. Then Carbon dioxide makes the reverse journey to eventually be exhaled into the world.