The lungs are a critical part of the cardiovascular system. The goal of the cardiovascular system is to pump oxygen-rich blood to the body's tissues and to transport carbon-dioxide-rich blood away from these tissues. The lungs are the place where...
The anatomy of the lungs can be broken down into the structures that compose the airway. The main units of the airway include the larynx, trachea, bronchi, bronchioles and alveoli. Inside lung tissue, the circulatory system and the respiratory...
The lungs are a vital organ because of their ability to take in oxygen and release other gases, such as carbon dioxide. This function makes the lungs indispensable for survival, as the body requires oxygen for efficient use of energy. By working...
The lungs are a paired set of organs in your chest that bring oxygen-rich air into your body and allow you to get rid of a cellular waste product called carbon dioxide. Your lungs also perform a supporting role in your body's regulation of the...
Your respiratory system, or breathing system, includes the structures from your nose to your trachea and finally the alveoli in your lungs. Alveoli are the tiny pockets where oxygen and carbon dioxide are exchanged. This system is responsible for...
If the air sacs, or alveoli, and airways of an average sized adult were laid flat, the total surface area available for the exchange of oxygen and carbon dioxide in the lungs would be roughly the size of a regulation badminton court, or about 750...
Endurance exercise affects your lungs by improving your ability to perform physical activity for longer periods. Endurance exercise helps your lungs supply all of the cells in your body with more oxygen, while minimizing the effort required for...
Breathing is a mechanical process that humans perform automatically, meaning the muscles involved perform the action without conscious effort. Breathing is performed by the respiratory system, which consists of the lungs, trachea, bronchi and...
According to Drs. Guoyang Luo, and Errol R Norwitz, the lungs are among the last of the fetal organs to mature. These authors state in a study published in 2008 in the journal "Reviews in Obstetrics and Gynecology" that immature lungs are a major...
Your respiratory system controls your breathing and begins when you draw in air through your nose or mouth. The air travels through your windpipe into both of your lungs, where small air sacs capture oxygen and distribute it in your bloodstream...
The lungs are the organs responsible for gas exchange. Humans require oxygen for cellular respiration, and they produce carbon dioxide as a waste product. The lungs are composed of a number of multiple levels of branching airways, called bronchi....
Asbestos is the name of a group of naturally occurring minerals which are heat resistant and do not conduct electricity. Because of these properties, prior to the 1970s it was commonly used in commercial products such as building materials....
Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, or COPD, affects around 12 million people in the United States and is the fourth leading cause of death, the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute states. Smoking is the leading cause of COPD. COPD results...
A region of the brain stem called the medulla contains the respiratory center, which controls the body's respiratory rate. This respiratory center stimulates the phrenic nerves that innervate the diaphragm and the intercostal nerves that innervate...
The airways into and out of the lungs and the lungs themselves make up your respiratory system. This system allows the exchange of gases --- namely oxygen and carbon dioxide --- through the continuous act of breathing. This process brings in...
The lungs are the primary organs of respiration, which consists of ventilation and gas exchange in the lungs and oxygen transport to the cells of the body. Cedars-Sinai Hospital notes that on average, a normally active person breathes almost...
The lungs are a component of the group of tissues in the body known as the respiratory system. The lungs bring fresh air containing oxygen into the body, and breathe out unabsorbed and waste gases. Each cell in a person's body requires oxygen to...
Respiration is the process that your body uses to get energy out of the food you eat. Aerobic respiration is the process of getting food energy in the presence of oxygen. Aerobic respiration is the primary way that chemical energy is harvested...
The lungs are two large organs located in the chest cavity. They are part of the respiratory system and control the flow of air into and out of the body. Healthy lungs are pinkish in appearance and have a spongy texture. When we breathe, the air...
Acute respiratory distress syndrome, or ARDS, is a very serious lung disease with a high mortality rate. People with ARDS will have respiratory failure because the part of the lungs where oxygen leaves to enter the bloodstream becomes filled with...
Jogging is primarily aerobic exercise. In aerobic metabolism, cells use oxygen to extract energy from fuels such as carbohydrates and fats, producing carbon dioxide as a byproduct. Aerobically working muscles require large amounts of oxygen and...
Oxygen is transported by your red blood cells to all the organs and tissues of your body. This happens in the alveoli, which are the final branchings of your lungs, where oxygen diffuses through the alveolar epithelium into your alveolar...
Continuous positive airway pressure, or CPAP, is a method of improving the oxygenation of patients by providing a continuous level of positive pressure into the airway. In patients with sleep apnea or certain lung diseases, a drop in pressure at...
The respiratory epithelium is the lining of the airway, extending from the nasal cavity through the branching respiratory tree to the terminal air sacs of the lungs. Together, the respiratory epithelium serves as a leak-proof barrier that...
Your lungs are a paired set of organs in your chest that allow you pull in oxygen and help your body meet its energy needs. They belong to a network of organs commonly known as the respiratory system. When you exercise, your lungs must work to...
Your breathing increases in direct proportion to the intensity of your workout. That happens because the oxygen you inhale has the simple job of carrying away the chemical fragments your body makes when you burn sugar for energy. Those fragments...
Your respiratory system enables you to breathe. It is divided between the upper and lower respiratory tracts. The upper respiratory tract includes the structures outside of your chest cavity--the nose, pharynx and larynx or voice box. The lower...
The lungs are two cone-shaped organs that lie on each side of the chest cavity. Thousands of tiny sponge-like air sacs called alveoli make up the lung tissue. This tissue fills the spaces between a network of branching, tree-like tubes and blood...
The respiratory system, which consists of the nose, mouth, trachea, larynx, lungs and diaphragm, functions to supply oxygen to the entire body. Through the process of breathing, air that contains oxygen enters lungs. The lungs promote the exchange...