What does the respiratory system do?
The main function of the respiratory system is the exchange of gases between your body and your environment.The respiratory system is the body system that allows you to breathe. The system also provides oxygen for all other systems.
How does the respiratory system work?
The diaphragm contracts and the rib cage rises, beginning the process of inhaling. The space in the chest cavity increases, and a vacuum is formed. Air goes into the lungs because the air outside the body is under more pressure than the air inside the lungs. When you breathe in, air enters your nose or mouth and goes down a long tube called the trachea. The trachea branches into two bronchial tubes, or primary bronchi, which go to the lungs. The primary bronchi branch off into even smaller bronchial tubes, or bronchioles. The bronchioles end in the alveoli, or air sacs. Oxygen follows this path and passes through the walls of the air sacs and blood vessels and enters the blood stream. At the same time, carbon dioxide passes into the lungs and is exhaled.