While a person is alive, he breathes. What is breath? These are processes that continuously supply all organs and tissues with oxygen and remove carbon dioxide from the body, which is formed as a result of the work of the metabolic system. These vital processes are carried out by the respiratory system, which directly interacts with the cardiovascular system. To understand how gas exchange occurs in the human body, one should study the structure and functions of the lungs.
Why does a person breathe?
The only way to get oxygen is to breathe. It is impossible to delay it for a long time, as the body requires another portion. Why is oxygen needed at all? Without it, metabolism will not occur, the brain and all other human organs will not work. With the participation of oxygen, nutrients are broken down, energy is released, and each cell is enriched with them. Respiration is called gas exchange. And this is fair. After all, the peculiarities of the respiratory system are to take oxygen from the air that has entered the body, and remove carbon dioxide.
What are human lungs
Their anatomy is quite complex and variable. This organ is paired. Place itlocation - chest cavity. The lungs adjoin the heart on both sides - on the right and on the left. Nature has made sure that both of these most important organs are protected from squeezing, blows, etc. The chest is an obstacle to damage in front, the spinal column is in the back, and the ribs are on the sides.
The lungs are literally pierced with hundreds of bronchial branches, with alveoli the size of a pinhead located at their ends. There are up to 300 million of them in the body of a he althy person. Alveoli play an important role: they supply blood vessels with oxygen and, having a branched system, are able to provide a large area for gas exchange. Just imagine: they can cover the entire surface of the tennis court!
In appearance, the lungs resemble semi-cones, the bases of which are adjacent to the diaphragm, and the tops with rounded ends protrude 2-3 cm above the clavicle. A rather peculiar organ is the human lungs. The anatomy of the right and left lobe is different. So, the first is slightly larger in volume than the second, while it is somewhat shorter and wider. Each half of the organ is covered with a pleura, consisting of two sheets: one is fused with the chest, the other is with the surface of the lung. The outer pleura contains glandular cells that produce fluid into the pleural cavity.
The inner surface of each lung has a recess, which is called the gate. They include the bronchi, the basis of which has the form of a branching tree, and the pulmonary artery, and a pair of pulmonary veins emerge.
Human lungs. Their functions
Of course, there are no secondary organs in the human body. The lungs are also important in ensuring human life. What kind of work do they do?
- The main function of the lungs is to carry out the respiratory process. Man lives while he breathes. If the oxygen supply to the body is cut off, death will occur.
- The work of the human lungs is to remove carbon dioxide, so that the body maintains an acid-base balance. Through these organs, a person gets rid of volatile substances: alcohol, ammonia, acetone, chloroform, ether.
- The functions of the human lungs are not limited to this. The paired organ is also involved in the purification of blood, which comes into contact with air. The result is an interesting chemical reaction. Oxygen molecules in the air and carbon dioxide molecules in dirty blood are swapped, i.e. oxygen replaces carbon dioxide.
- Various functions of the lungs allow them to participate in the water exchange that occurs in the body. Up to 20% of the liquid is excreted through them.
- The lungs are active participants in the process of thermoregulation. They release 10% of their heat into the atmosphere when they exhale air.
- The regulation of blood coagulation is not complete without the participation of the lungs in this process.
How do lungs work?
The function of the human lungs is to transport oxygen contained in the air into the blood, use it, and remove carbon dioxide from the body. Lungs are fairly large soft organs.spongy fabric. The inhaled air enters the air sacs. They are separated by thin walls with capillaries.
There are only small cells between blood and air. Therefore, thin walls do not constitute obstacles for inhaled gases, which contributes to good permeability through them. In this case, the functions of the human lungs are to use the necessary and remove unnecessary gases. Lung tissues are very elastic. When you inhale, the chest expands and the lungs increase in volume.
The windpipe, represented by the nose, pharynx, larynx, trachea, looks like a tube 10-15 cm long, divided into two parts, called bronchi. Air passing through them enters the air sacs. And when you exhale, there is a decrease in the volume of the lungs, a decrease in the size of the chest, a partial closure of the pulmonary valve, which allows the air to exit again. This is how the human lungs work.
Their structure and functions are such that the capacity of this organ is measured by the amount of inhaled and exhaled air. So, for men, it is equal to seven pints, for women - five. The lungs are never empty. The air left after exhalation is called residual air. When you inhale, it mixes with fresh air. Therefore, breathing is a conscious and at the same time unconscious process that occurs constantly. A person breathes when he sleeps, but he does not think about it. At the same time, if desired, you can briefly stop breathing. For example, being underwater.
Interesting facts aboutlung function
They are able to pump 10 thousand liters of inhaled air per day. But it is not always crystal clear. Together with oxygen, dust, many microbes and foreign particles enter our body. Therefore, the lungs perform the function of protecting against all unwanted impurities in the air.
The walls of the bronchi have many tiny villi. They are needed in order to trap germs and dust. And the mucus produced by cells in the walls of the respiratory tract lubricates these villi, and then is excreted when you cough.
The structure of the respiratory system
It consists of organs and tissues that fully provide ventilation and respiration. In the implementation of gas exchange - the main link in the metabolism - are the functions of the respiratory system. The latter is responsible only for pulmonary (external) respiration. Includes:
1. Airways, consisting of the nose and its cavity, larynx, trachea, bronchi.
The nose and its cavity heat, humidify and filter the inhaled air. Its cleansing is achieved through numerous coarse hairs and goblet cells with cilia.
The larynx is located between the root of the tongue and the trachea. Its cavity is separated by a mucous membrane in the form of two folds. In the middle they are not completely fused. The gap between them is called the voice.
The trachea originates from the larynx. In the chest, it is divided into bronchi: right and left.
2. Lungs with densely branched vessels, bronchioles and alveolar sacs. They beginthe gradual division of the main bronchi into small tubes called bronchioles. They make up the smallest structural elements of the lung - lobules.
The right ventricle of the heart carries blood into the pulmonary artery. It is divided into left and right. Branching of the arteries follows the bronchi, braiding the alveoli and forming small capillaries.
3. The musculoskeletal system, thanks to which a person is not limited in respiratory movements.
It's ribs, muscles, diaphragm. They monitor the integrity of the airways and maintain them during various postures and body movements. Muscles, contracting and relaxing, contribute to a change in the volume of the chest. The diaphragm is designed to separate the thoracic cavity from the abdominal cavity. It is the main muscle involved in normal inspiration.
Man breathes through his nose. Then the air passes through the airways and enters the human lungs, the structure and functions of which ensure the further functioning of the respiratory system. This is purely a physiological factor. This breathing is called nasal. In the cavity of this organ, heating, humidification and air purification occur. If the nasal mucosa is irritated, a person sneezes and protective mucus begins to be released. Nasal breathing may be difficult. The air then enters the throat through the mouth. Such breathing is said to be oral and, in fact, is pathological. In this case, the functions of the nasal cavity are disrupted, which causes various respiratory diseases.
From the pharynx, air is directed to the larynx, whichperforms other functions, in addition to carrying oxygen further into the respiratory tract, in particular, reflexogenic. If irritation of this organ occurs, a cough or spasm appears. In addition, the larynx is involved in sound production. This is important for any person, since his communication with other people occurs through speech. The tracheae and bronchi continue to heat and humidify the air, but this is not their main function. By doing a certain job, they regulate the amount of air they breathe.
Respiratory system. Features
The air surrounding us contains oxygen in its composition, which can penetrate into our body and through the skin. But its quantity is not enough to sustain life. That's what the respiratory system is for. Transportation of necessary substances and gases is carried out by the circulatory system. The structure of the respiratory system is such that it is able to supply the body with oxygen and remove carbon dioxide from it. It performs the following functions:
- Regulates, conducts, humidifies and degreases the air, removes dust particles.
- Protects the respiratory tract from food particles.
- Conducts air into the trachea from the larynx.
- Improves gas exchange between lungs and blood.
- Transports venous blood to the lungs.
- Oxygenates the blood and removes carbon dioxide.
- Performs a protective function.
- Delays and dissolves blood clots, particles of foreign origin, emboli.
- Performs the metabolism of essential substances.
An interesting fact is that with agethere is a limitation of the functionality of the respiratory system. The level of ventilation of the lungs and the work of breathing decreases. The causes of such disorders can be various changes in the bones and muscles of a person. As a result, the shape of the chest changes, its mobility decreases. This leads to a decrease in the capacity of the respiratory system.
Phases of breathing
When you inhale, oxygen from the alveoli of the lungs enters the bloodstream, namely the red blood cells. From here, on the contrary, carbon dioxide passes into the air, which contained oxygen. From the moment the air enters to the exit from the lungs, its pressure in the organ increases, which stimulates the diffusion of gases.
When exhaling, a pressure exceeding atmospheric pressure is created in the alveoli of the lungs. Diffusion of gases begins to take place more actively: carbon dioxide and oxygen.
Each time after exhalation, a pause is created. This is because there is no diffusion of gases, since the pressure of the air remaining in the lungs is negligible, much lower than atmospheric.
While I breathe, I live. Breathing process
- A child in the womb receives oxygen through her blood, so the baby's lungs do not take part in the process, they are filled with liquid. When a baby is born and takes its first breath, the lungs begin to work. The structure and functions of the respiratory organs are such that they are able to provide the human body with oxygen and remove carbon dioxide.
- Signals about the amount of oxygen required in a specific period of time are given by the respiratory center, which is located in the brain. So, while sleeping oxygenrequired much less than during opening hours.
- The volume of air entering the lungs is regulated by messages sent by the brain.
- During the receipt of this signal, the diaphragm expands, which leads to stretching of the chest. This maximizes the volume that the lungs take up as they expand during inhalation.
- During exhalation, the diaphragm and intercostal muscles relax, the volume of the chest decreases. This forces the air out of the lungs.
Types of breathing
- Clavicular. When a person is hunched over, his shoulders are raised and his stomach is compressed. This indicates an insufficient supply of oxygen to the body.
- Chest breathing. It is characterized by the expansion of the chest due to the intercostal muscles. Such functions of the respiratory system contribute to the saturation of the body with oxygen. This method is purely physiologically more suitable for pregnant women.
- Deep breathing fills the lower organs with air. Most often, athletes and men breathe like this. This method is convenient during physical activity.
No wonder they say that breathing is a mirror of mental he alth. Thus, the psychiatrist Lowen noticed an amazing relationship between the nature and type of a person's emotional disorder. In people prone to schizophrenia, the upper chest is involved in breathing. And a person with a neurotic type of character breathes more with his stomach. Usually people use mixed breathing, which involves both the chest andaperture.
Lungs of smokers
Smoking takes a heavy toll on the organs. Tobacco smoke contains tar, nicotine and hydrogen cyanide. These harmful substances have the ability to settle on the lung tissue, resulting in the death of the epithelium of the organ. The lungs of a he althy person are not subject to such processes.
In smokers, the lungs are dirty gray or black due to the accumulation of a huge number of dead cells. But that's not all the negatives. Lung function is greatly reduced. Negative processes begin, leading to inflammation. As a result, a person suffers from chronic obstructive pulmonary diseases, which contribute to the development of respiratory failure. It, in turn, causes numerous disorders that occur due to a lack of oxygen in the tissues of the body.
Social advertising constantly shows clips, pictures with the difference between the lungs of a he althy and a smoking person. And many people who have never picked up cigarettes sigh with relief. But don't be too hopeful, believing that the terrible sight that the smoker's lungs represent has nothing to do with you. It is interesting that at first glance there is no special external difference. Neither an x-ray nor a conventional fluorography will show whether the person being examined smokes or not. Moreover, no pathologist will be able to determine with absolute certainty whether a person was addicted to smoking during his lifetime, until he finds typical signs: the condition of the bronchi,yellowing of the fingers and so on. Why? It turns out that harmful substances hovering in the polluted air of cities, entering our body, just like tobacco smoke, enter the lungs …
The structure and functions of this organ are designed to protect the body. It is known that toxins destroy the lung tissue, which subsequently, due to the accumulation of dead cells, acquires a dark color.
What is the essence of advertising? It's just that the posters with comparative inscriptions depict the organs of an adult and … a baby.
Interesting about breathing and the respiratory system
- Lungs are the size of a human palm.
- The volume of the paired organ is 5 liters. But it is not fully used. To ensure normal breathing, 0.5 liters is enough. The volume of residual air is one and a half liters. If you count, exactly three liters of air volume is always in reserve.
- The older the person, the less often his breath. In one minute, a newborn inhales and exhales thirty-five times, a teenager twenty, an adult fifteen times.
- In one hour a person takes a thousand breaths, in a day - twenty-six thousand, in a year - nine million. Moreover, men and women do not breathe the same way. In one year, the former take 670 million breaths, and the latter 746.
- In one minute, it is vital for a person to get eight and a half liters of air volume.
Based on all of the above, we conclude: the lungs need to be monitored. If you are in doubt about your respiratory system, see your doctor.
