Did you know that it wasn't until about 239 years ago that people found out why air was so important?
Before we get to far, we need to go over a little bit of terminology.
Breathing is when fresh air moves into and stale air moves out of your lungs.
Respiration is the chemical reaction that releases energy from glucose.
Sometimes, people mix those up, so I was just clearing it up.
So, if you haven't figured it out yet, we are going to be talking about the Respiratory System.
The Respiratory System is made up of many parts, including lungs, bronchi, nasal cavity, pharynx, larynx, and trachea.
The lungs are two sack-like respiratory organs that remove carbon dioxide and provide oxygen to the blood.
The nasal cavity is the inside of the nose, 2 cavities between the cranium and roof the nose that filters out contaminants and keeps the nose moist.
Your pharynx is a tube like passageway for both food and air.
Below your larynx is your trachea which is a tube about 12 centimeters long. It sends air to and from the lungs.
Covering your larynx (when you swallow) is your epiglottis which is a thin cartilage flap. It is there to prevent food from entering the trachea.
To take care of your Respiratory System, you need to exercise, stay away from polluted air and second hand smoke, and of course, DON'T smoke.
Pictures Found At
http://www.alpha1health.com/patients-and-families/about-alpha-1/the-respiratory-system.html (picture on top)
http://training.seer.cancer.gov/anatomy/respiratory/passages/nose.html (Nasal Cavity)
http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/ency/imagepages/19595.htm (Epiglottis)
http://www.homebusinessandfamilylife.com/larynx.html (larynx)
http://medicine.med.nyu.edu/pulmonary/node/655 (bronchi and lungs)
http://www.singingforsnorers.com/faq.htm (Pharynx)
http://www.webmd.com/lung/picture-of-the-trachea (trachea)
