Chapter 17

Respiration and
Excretion

I. The Respiratory System

A. Respiratory System Functions

1. Taking in Oxygen
* oxygen we need comes from the
atmosphere (gases that surround Earth)
* oxygen makes up about 21% of atmosphere
* most air we breathe in goes back into
atmosphere when we exhale

* respiration = energy releasing series

of chemical reactions inside cells
* glucose + oxygen carbon dioxide + water +
energy

RAW MATERIALS

PRODUCTS

* breathing = movement of air into and

out of lungs

2. Removing Carbon Dioxide

and Water
* carbon dioxide and some water is
eliminated through lungs

3. Systems Working Together

a. several systems make
respiration possible:
* respiratory system takes in oxygen
* digestive system absorbs glucose
* circulatory system carries oxygen
and
glucose to cells

B. The Path of Air

nose
pharynx
trachea
bronchi
lungs

1. The Nose
a. air enters the body through two
nostrils

b. nasal cavities
* spaces lined with mucus and cilia
* cilia= tiny hair like extensions which
can move together sweeping motions
pushing mucus into the throat
* filter, warm, and moisten air

2. The Pharynx
* throat
* connects nose/mouth to trachea
* shared with digestive system

What is the role of Cilia?

Cilia sweep mucus that contains dust

and bacteria into the throat
where it is swallowed.

3. The Trachea
* windpipe
* connects pharynx to lungs
* lined with cilia- which push upward
* held open by rings of cartilage

* epiglottis = flap of tissue that seals off

trachea during swallowing

4. Bronchi and Lungs

a. bronchi (bronchus = 1)
* passages that direct air into lungs
* divide into smaller and smaller tubes
inside lungs

b. lungs
* main organs of respiratory system
* contain tiny air sacs = alveoli
(exchange gases between air and blood)

How is food prevented

from entering the
trachea?

The epiglottis seals off the trachea

during swallowing.

C. Gas Exchange
* walls of alveoli are
very thin
* process of gas
exchange:
after air enters an
alveolus, O2 passes
through the wall of
the alveolus and the
capillary into the
blood
CO2 and water pass
from the blood into
the alveoli.

1. surface area for gas exchange

* your lungs can absorb a large
amount of O2 because of the large
surface area of the alveoli

Human lungs have about 300

million alveoli

What gases are

exchanged across the
alveoli?

Oxygen and Carbon Dioxide.

D. How You Breathe

1. Muscles for Breathing
a. breathing is controlled by muscles
* diaphragm = a large, dome-shaped
muscle that plays an important
role
in breathing
b. the more O2 you need the faster
you
breathe

2. The Process of Breathing

* when you breathe, the actions of
your
rib muscles and diaphragm expand
or
contract your chest.
Exhalatio
Inhalatio
* result- air flows in and out.
n

a. how you breathe

Rib muscles contract making chest larger

Pressure of air inside lungs decreases

Air rushes into chest and you inhale

Muscles relax and the chest cavity becomes smaller

The air is squeezed out of the lungs and you exhale

What muscles cause the

chest to expand during
breathing?

Rib and diaphragm muscles.

3. Relating Breathing and Speaking

* air moves out of your lungs to help you
talk
* larynx = voice box located at the top of
the
trachea under the epiglottis
* vocal cords = folds of connective tissue
stretched across the opening
of the larynx that produce
your voice
* air moving through the
vocal cords makes the cords
vibrate causing sound.

Assignment
Write 5 sentence summary