RESPIRATORY SYSTEM Meaning and
Definition
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The respiratory system is a critical anatomical and physiological system found in organisms. It is responsible for facilitating the exchange of oxygen and carbon dioxide between the body and the environment, specifically through the process of respiration.
The main structures involved in the respiratory system include the lungs, bronchi, trachea, diaphragm, and nasal passages. Air enters the body through the nostrils or mouth and passes through the nasal passages, which help filter the air and moisten it before reaching the lungs. From the nasal passages, the air flows into the trachea, a tube lined with cartilage, which bifurcates into two bronchi that lead into each lung. The bronchi further divide into smaller bronchioles, finally ending in tiny air sacs called alveoli.
Within the alveoli, oxygen from the inhaled air is transferred into the bloodstream, while carbon dioxide, a waste product of cellular respiration, is removed from the bloodstream and expelled from the body during exhalation. This exchange process occurs due to the diffusion of gases across a thin membrane.
The respiratory system also incorporates the diaphragm, a dome-shaped muscle that separates the thoracic and abdominal cavities. This muscle contracts and relaxes, causing changes in the volume and pressure of the thoracic cavity, which leads to inhalation and exhalation.
In summary, the respiratory system is a complex network of organs and tissues that enables the intake of oxygen and the elimination of carbon dioxide, ensuring the body's metabolic needs are met and maintaining homeostasis.
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Apparatus respiratorius, all the air passages from the nose to the pulmonary alveoli.
A practical medical dictionary. By Stedman, Thomas Lathrop. Published 1920.
Common Misspellings for RESPIRATORY SYSTEM
- eespiratory system
- despiratory system
- fespiratory system
- tespiratory system
- 5espiratory system
- 4espiratory system
- rwspiratory system
- rsspiratory system
- rdspiratory system
- rrspiratory system
- r4spiratory system
- r3spiratory system
- reapiratory system
- rezpiratory system
- rexpiratory system
- redpiratory system
- reepiratory system
- rewpiratory system
- resoiratory system
Etymology of RESPIRATORY SYSTEM
The word "respiratory" comes from the Latin word "respirare", which means "to breathe". The word "system" is derived from the Latin word "systema", meaning "a whole compounded of several parts". Therefore, the term "respiratory system" refers to the anatomical and physiological system responsible for breathing and the exchange of gases between the body and its environment.
Similar spelling words for RESPIRATORY SYSTEM
- respiratory infection,
- respiratory disorder,
- respiratory organ,
- respiratory center,
- respiratory disease,
- respiratory alkalosis,
- respiratory acidosis,
- respiratory rate,
- respiratory tract,
- respiratory illness,
- respiratory quotient.
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