A Discussion on Respiratory System Paper Example

A human body is made up of systems that are interconnected together to sustain the cells of the entire body cells thus life. The respiratory system makes one of the central body systems that work along with other systems such as the digestive system, excretory system, blood circulation system and the nervous system to sustain life. The gaseous system has the following organ's nose, mouth, pharynx, larynx, trachea, bronchioles, alveoli, lungs, and the diaphragm. In the gaseous interchange process between the body and the environment, the lung emits carbon iv oxide as a waste whereas oxygen is used for the breakdown of starch into glucose in the mitochondria to produce energy to muscle to run daily activities (Petersson and Glenny 1025). Other significant functions of the respiratory stem include alkalosis, acidosis, and osmoregulation. Indeed, the understanding of the anatomy and physiology of the respiratory system forms foundation knowledge for professions in healthcare and emergency services.

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The respiratory process involves a variety of mechanisms. It begins with inspiration a process that's controlled with the Medulla Oblongata part of the brain stem which controls the diaphragm contraction and the smooth intercostals muscles. The decrease of the diaphragm and the relaxation of smooth intercostals muscles reduce the thoracic pressure and increase the volume of the lungs to prepare the swift inflow of atmospheric gas from the atmosphere into the lungs. The diaphragm, the doom -shaped structure is a significant muscle in the respiratory system that separates the chest and the abdominal cavity. When the diaphragm contracts, it slide to the lower ribcage with a distance of 1 cm in normal breathing while 10 cm in and enforced inhalation. The movement of the diaphragm also helps in the rotation of the ribcage in a horizontal plane to increase the chest volume and as a result, oxygenated air from the environment pathways into the alveoli air sac to equal the amount created in the thoracic cavity.

During the expiration process, the passive recoil of the lungs takes place to eliminate the deoxygenated air from the chest cavity. The process happens steadily under the normal condition, but under exercise or asthma infection, the high internal pressure is required to spark the exhalation to fulfill the oxygen demand of the body (Petersson and Glenny 1031). In the process, the inner intercostals muscles and the anterior abdominal muscles expand to increase the rate of expiration. In the process, the diaphragm muscles also relax and move upwards to decrease the volume of the chest cavity. In the end, deoxygenated gas is forced out of the air sacs of the bronchioles into the air pathway and back to the atmosphere.

The primary function of the respiratory system is to facilitate gaseous exchange in which oxygen is supplied to the body tissues whereas carbon (IV) oxide is expelled from the body as a cellular waste product. The muscles that consume the absorbed Oxygen lie too far from the thoracic region hence the body tissue rely on blood circulation to transport the diffused oxygen to the required organ. The gaseous exchange starts when atmospheric air enters the nasal cavity, to trachea that splits into the two bronchi. The bronchus bifurcates further into small channels forming the bronchial tubules that are also segregated into multiple of terminating ends of alveoli. The entire gases exchange system takes places in the alveoli where the oxygen gas diffuses into the blood capillaries and interchange simultaneously with the carbon IV oxide. The exhalation process resumes immediately where a huge volume of carbon dioxide is expelled from the lungs a journey that starts from the air sacs, to bronchial air pathways, to trachea then out to the atmosphere through the mouth or nose. Other secondary roles of the respiratory systems include purification, warming, and humidifying of the inhaled gases to suit the internal body environment requirements. Through the gaseous exchange, another vital body process occurs such as excretion of excess water, lung balance of the body pH, and olfactory cells of the nose sensation of odor.

The gaseous exchange process usually has four important procedures that ensure the achievement in the deliverance of the oxygen from the external environment to the mitochondria from where it's used to conduct the breakdown of starch to glucose. In a process referred to as respiration. The procedures include; ventilation in the lung, interchange of gases between the lungs and the blood, transport of the gas to target organelles, and gas exchange between the target tissues and the blood (Saladin). First, ventilation is an automatic process that requires no muscular effort since the procedure is controlled with the pacesetter, the Medulla Oblongata. The Oblongata produces neurons that automatically control the movement of the diaphragm and intercostals muscles to increase or decrease the thoracic cavity to incapacitate air volume in the lungs.

In the pulmonary gas exchange process, almost 70% of the inhaled gases fill the numerous alveoli of the lungs. Each of the millions of the alveolus is surrounded with a dense network of blood capillaries of a slight diffusion gradient since they are almost 0.5 micrometers thick to reduce the distance of gas diffusion between the capillaries and the red blood cells. The difference in pressure concentration between alveolus and the blood capillaries increases the rate of oxygen diffusion from the lungs to the red blood cells (Saladin). At least 95 percent of the absorbed oxygen binds to the hemoglobin pigment of the red blood cells whereas the rest two percent is transported in the blood plasma. On the other hand, the carbon IV oxide concentration from blood arriving into the lungs from the rest of the organs is high compared to that of the alveolus thus carbon IV oxide readily diffuses from the blood to the air sacs to be exhaled out of the body.

The oxygenated blood moves from the lungs to the heart through the pulmonary vein to the heart, the main blood pumping organ of the body. According to Saladin (2018) the left auricle, the heart muscles pump the oxygen-rich blood to the rest of the body where an oxygen deficit occurs.

The final process of the respiratory process is the systematic gas exchange, where the oxygenated blood reaches organs blood capillaries, and reverse operation of what happens in the pulmonary alveoli takes place (Saladin). Here, in the target organ, oxygen is released to the tissues fluids, thus the surrounding cells. Similarly, CO2 produced through metabolic activities diffuses in the red blood cells hemoglobin in low concentrations to be deposited to the lungs for disposal. The difference in the concentration gradient of the blood capillaries and cell tissues of the target organs facilitates the interchange of oxygen and carbon dioxide.

Respiration is a process in which the blood cells utilize the absorbed oxygen to break down starch in the mitochondria to produce energy used to run body activities. During physical exercise, the body utilizes most of the generated energy and has to produce more through respiration (Wagner 230). In exercising, rapid respiration takes place to meets the body requirements. Thus more carbon dioxide is produced and oxygen consumed. The breathing and the heartbeat rates are increased during exercise since the body requires more oxygen in the muscles cells and eliminate the toxic carbon dioxide. Thus more gases should be inhaled. A process controlled with adrenaline gland production of the hormone adrenaline. Seemingly, since the gases are transported through blood, the heartbeat rate increases for rapid circulation of the gases (Wagner 233). In cases of suffocation as it is in breathing the heartbeat rates decreases as the amount of fresh oxygenated gas reduces. At the time, the body has a high affinity for oxygen. Thus the ventilation muscles will tend to relax for a prolonged inhalation to accumulate more air to obtain the available oxygen.

The quality of air human breath is a significant indicator of the status of their health. Air with impurities usually has a profound effect on the lungs and the respiratory system. The presence of substances such as ozone gases, heavy metals, and free radicals poses an enormous health risk on the respiratory system that is much sensitive to pollutants (Wagner 233). The effect includes coughs, breathing difficulties, cardiac disorders and aggravation of the gaseous exchange system. For example, the ozone gas can not only damage the alveoli sacs but also injure the air pathway rendering gaseous exchange impossible leading to premature deaths.

Asthma is one of the significant respiratory diseases that have affected numerous people due to the presence of impurities in the air that cause the antigen-antibody reactions in the body on exposure to air impurities (Lenney et al. 663). In some individuals, asthma is a minor nuisance of blockage of the trachea and bronchioles to slightly hamper their lives whereas in others it's a chronic condition that threatens their lives. Asthma is triggered by cold, workplace chemicals, dust, pollen grains, or pet dander that causes an antigen-antibody reaction, but the allergic triggers vary across people. The respiratory disease can be prevented through the following way. First, a person is required to monitor its breathing rate to identify signs of random attacks such as prolonged coughs and breathing challenges (Lenney et al. 665). Secondly, through identification of asthma allergic triggers and avoiding them by selective elimination of which trigger affects them most. Moreover, people can take immunization vaccines against influenza and pneumonia which prevents the future flu and pneumonia flare-ups. Finally, people are advised to identify and screen incidences of the asthma attack and initiate an immediate therapeutic medication.

Conclusion

In conclusion, the understanding of the processes and functioning of the respiratory system is essential for physical exercising instructors and health workers to tackle issues related to the system when dealing with their clients. It makes the professions aware of the risks associated with gaseous exchange system and differentiates it with the time when the system is functioning normally.

Works Cited

Lenney, Warren et al. "Improving The Global Diagnosis And Management Of Asthma In Children." Thorax 73.7 (2018): 662-669. Web.

Petersson, J., and R. W. Glenny. "Gas Exchange And Ventilation-Perfusion Relationships In The Lung." European Respiratory Journal 44.4 (2014): 1023-1041. Web. 12 Nov. 2018.

Saladin, Kenneth S. "Respiration - Biology Encyclopedia - Cells, Body, Function, Human, Process, System, Different, Blood." Biologyreference.com. N.p., 2018. Web. 12 Nov. 2018.

Wagner, P. D. "The Physiological Basis Of Pulmonary Gas Exchange: Implications For Clinical Interpretation Of Arterial Blood Gases." European Respiratory Journal 45.1 (2014): 227-243. Web. 12 Nov. 2018.