Your respiratory system consists of the lungs, the airways, and the muscles required to inflate and deflate your lungs. Its purpose is to take in oxygen from the atmosphere so that your heart can circulate oxygenated blood to your tissues. The respiratory system also helps you excrete carbon dioxide waste.
Respiratory System
When you inhale air, it travels through your trachea -- a tube that starts at the back of your throat -- downward toward the lungs. The trachea splits into the primary bronchi, which enter the left and right lung, and then divide into smaller airways that direct air toward the lobes of the lungs -- three lobes on the right, and two on the left. Because your lungs aren't made of muscle, inhalation and exhalation are controlled by the diaphragm and muscles between the ribs.
Energy
To operate, all cells depend upon a source of energy, which comes in the form of the macronutrients -- carbohydrates, protein and fat -- explains Dr. Lauralee Sherwood in her book, "Human Physiology." Because your lungs depend upon muscles to operate -- muscles consume large quantities of energy -- and because the cells of the lungs themselves burn energy, some of the calories you consume each day go toward fueling the cells of the respiratory system.
Vitamins and Minerals
Cells depend upon vitamins and minerals to help them maintain normal function, and the cells of the respiratory system are no exception. For instance, the muscles of the respiratory system and the nerves that serve them require sodium and potassium to contract and transmit information. The B vitamins assist in metabolism of nutrients, which allows for production of energy, while vitamins C and E are antioxidants that help prevent damage from toxins.
Specific Requirements
Unlike the eyes, for instance, which require vitamin A in particular, there are no nutritional requirements specific to the respiratory system. In an oblique sense, however, iron is critical to respiratory function. Without iron, you can't make red blood cells, which carry oxygen from the lungs to the tissues, explains Dr. Gary Thibodeau in his book, "Anatomy and Physiology." As such, while iron doesn't impact respiratory function directly, it allows respiratory function to benefit the rest of the body cells.
References
- "Human Physiology"; Lauralee Sherwood, Ph.D.; 2004
- "Anatomy and Physiology"; Gary Thibodeau, Ph.D.; 2007
- "Biochemistry"; Reginald Garrett, Ph.D., and Charles Grisham, Ph.D.; 2007
