Wednesday, October 29, 2008

Respiratory Organ In Human Being

By Don Bethune

The respiratory, or pulmonary, system has the function to deliver oxygen to the blood, and remove carbon dioxide on the way out. Within human beings, the respiratory system is well developed and very complex. The respiratory tract consists of respiratory organs that all work together in an intricate system. The organs are:

The Nasal Cavity: A part of our nose, the nasal cavity brings in air through the external nostrils, and then sends it to the pharynx with our internal nostrils. The nasal cavity also serves the function of sifting out dust particles with mucus and the cilia as a barrier.

Pharynx:- From the nasal cavity, the air moves into the pharynx which is common area to both digestive and respiratory tracts.The pharynxopens into larynx or voice box through the glotis.The glotis can be covered by the leaf like cartilage epiglotis during swallowing of food.

The Larynx: This is a cartilagious, box-like structure that is situated at the tracheal opening. The larynx will move up or down when we swallow to allow the passage of air or food, safely. It also is responsible for human speech, as it contains two vocal chords that vibrate to produce sound.

The Trachea: The trachea is the next organ through which air flows. This is a tube that is eleven centimeters in length with a twenty five centimeter diameter. In order to keep the trachea opened, there is an incomplete C-shaped cartiligious ring within the trachea wall.

The Bronchi and Bronchioles. The next stop for air is the two primary bronchi that split off from the trachea. These serve the function of carrying the air into the next organ, the lungs. The right bronchus divides into three bronchi, each extending respectively into the three lobes of the right lung. On the other side, the left bronchi divides into two bronchi that extend into the two lobes of the left lung.

The Lungs: Lungs are an elastic, spongy, bag like structure, that is hollow. There are two lungs, both located in the thoracic cavity. The thoracic cavity is surrounded by the vertebral column, the sternum, and the diaphragm. The diaphragm form the floor of the cavity, so they are what our lungs rest on.

The right lung is divided into three lobies whereas the left lung has two lobies.The lungs are sorrounded by a narrow shape called pleural cavaty.There are two membranes around pleural cavaty.These membrane secret an oily fluid called pleural fluid.Pleural cavity is filled with pleural fluid. - 15634

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