Understanding Your Respiratory System

You can think of the respiratory system as your oxygen delivery system!  It’s primary function within the body is to bring oxygen to the blood – so that the blood supply can deliver the oxygen to all the parts of the body.  Each time you take a breath, the oxygen enters your respiratory system and carbon dioxide is exhaled out of the body.  The exchange of gases is what the respiratory system uses to move the oxygen to the bloodstream.

Oxygen enters your respiratory system through your mouth and nose.  It moves through your larynx and trachea.  Your trachea is a tube that travels from your throat area into your chest cavity.  Once the oxygen moves through the trachea into the chest, the trachea splits into two small tubes that are called the bronchi.  The bronchi are divided into even smaller bronchial tubes that go directly to the lungs.  Within the lungs, there are even more tubes, which are connected to alveoli – which are the 600 million tiny, spongy, air-filled sacs found in the capillaries of an adult body.  Children have less alveoli as they develop as children age, and breathe at a faster rate than adults.  Women also breathe faster than men on average.

Inhaled oxygen travels into the alveoli and then goes into the capillaries, which sends the oxygen into the arterial blood.  While this is happening, carbon dioxide and waste-filled blood will move from the veins into the alveoli, following the same path the clean oxygen took to get back out of your body as you exhale.

Part of the respiratory system includes the diaphragm.  The diaphragm is located in the bottom of the chest cavity, and is basically a sheet of muscles.  It’s purpose is to help pump out the carbon dioxide, and to pull in the fresh oxygen to the lungs.  The muscles of the diaphragm contract and relax to generate the act of breathing.

The role of oxygen in our bodies is an important one.  The oxygen makes it possible to pull energy from the foods we eat and to carry out chemical processes that happen around the clock within our bodies.

Interesting facts about your respiratory system:

• There are hairs inside your nose that help remove pollutants from the air you breathe in.  The hair also serves to warm the air slightly.
• The right lung is a little bigger than the left lung.
• The capillaries inside your lungs would extend 1,600 kilometers if they were spread out end to end!
• People who are relaxed generally breathe 12 to 15 times per minute.
• The surface area of lungs, if they were unfolded, is about the same size as a tennis court.
• People lose half a liter of water each day through normal breathing.  To see this in action, breathe into a glass and watch the water vapors form.

How The Human Brain Works

The human brain is the command center for everything people do.  The brain allows us to think, to plan, to imagine, to dream, to speak.  It’s also the organ that controls our heart rate, breathing, blood pressure and the temperature of our bodies – which clearly shows the overall importance of the brain.  Without a brain, people would not experience emotions, or have a way of handling all of the information that comes at you every second of every day you are alive – from sight, hearing, taste, touch and smell.  What makes all of this even more amazing is that the brain is about the size of a head of broccoli!

Human brains are made up of neurons, which contain about 100 billion nerve cells.  Neurons gather and transmit electrochemical signals.  The shape and size of neurons vary depending on their purpose:

Sensory neurons – carry signals from outside of your body to the central nervous system.

Motor neurons – carry signals from your central nervous system to the muscles, glands and skin of your body.

Receptors – sense things happening around you in the environment, such as changes to temperature, touch, light, and sound.  It encodes the information is receives into electrochemical messages that are transmitted by the sensory neurons.

Interneurons – connect your brain and spinal cord.

Parts of the Brain

All brains, whether human or animal, are made up of the following parts that perform specific functions within the body:

Brain stem – contains the medulla, pons and midbrain.  Brain stems control reflexes and your body’s automated processes, like blood pressure and heart rate, as well as the movement of your arms and legs and digestion and urination.

Cerebellum – uses information from the vestibular system and movement to coordinate the movement of your arms and legs.

Cerebrum or Cortex – integrates information from each of your sensory organs to control emotions, give you memory and thoughts.

Hypothalamus and Pituitary gland – control your visceral functions from your responses to feeding, sexual activities, pleasure, aggression to body temperature.

Brain Disorders

Because the brain is responsible for so much of our body’s function and processes, there are a number of disorders that can originate within the brain.  Disorders of the brain can affect your emotional or physical condition. Common brain disorders include:

•    Anxiety or panic disorders
•    Bipolar disorder
•    Depression
•    Dementia
•    Epilepsy
•    Migraines
•    Multiple Sclerosis
•    Parkinsons disease
•    Schizophrenia
•    Sleep disorders
•    Stroke

The Human Heart

One of the most important muscle in the human body is the human heart. There are certain systems of the body that begin working before birth and continue working every second for he remainder of your life.  The circulatory system is one of these hard working systems and at its center is the human heart.  This amazing organ is indeed very hardworking and is responsible for circulating oxygen rich blood through the human body allowing it to function properly.  Here we will learn a little more about how this organ works and common diseases that affect the heart.

How Does The Heart Work?
The heart is an amazing and complex organ that is responsible for pumping blood throughout the body.  In order to function and thrive our brain and cells in the body need a constant supply of oxygen.  The right atrium (right side of the heart) receives de-oxygenated blood from the body.  This blood then moves through the Tricuspid Valve into the right ventricle, onto the Pulmonary Valve, finally moving on the pulmonary artery.  Once in the pulmonary artery, the blood goes to the lungs to pick up oxygen.  Oxygenated blood goes back to the heart via pulmonary veins arriving in the left atrium (left side of the heart).  Passing through the Mitral Valve into the left ventricle which pushes the blood out of the heart via the Aortic Valve into the aorta.  The aorta is the main artery that carries oxygen rich blood throughout the body.  From your first heart beat before birth until your final heart beat at death your heart will work continuously throughout your life to pump blood throughout your body.

Understanding Heart Disease.
While the basic workings of the heart are relatively easy to understand, even for a layman, the many diseases that affect the heart can become rather complex.  Affecting more than one quarter of all Americans, cardiovascular disease can present itself in many forms.  A few of these forms include:
•    Coronary artery disease (coronary heart disease)-  This is a condition where fatty deposits build up in the arteries leading to the heart.  These deposits known as plaque narrow the space which blood moves through and may eventually block the artery completely leading to a heart attack.  Certain lifestyles such as smoking, high stess and poor diet can lead to coronary artery disease so it is important to know the risk factors and avoid them to prevent developing this disease later in life.
•    Congenital heart disease or defects-  Heart defects that are present at birth and generally cause breathing difficulties and a failure to thrive in newborns.  The most common forms of congenital heart disease can be described using the term acyanotic heart disease.  Generally speaking this describes a defect in the walls separating the chambers of the heart or obstructions to one valve or artery.
•    Arrhythmia- Your heart beat is controlled by bundles of cells which control the electrical activity of the heart.  Heart arrhythmias occur when the beating (sequence) of you heart is disturbed either by skipping or adding a beat.  In most cases this is not life threatening, however there are some arrhythmias which may be life threatening.  While many arrhythmias are caused by coronary heart disease or a congenital defect, other medical conditions such as high blood pressure or diabetes can also contribute to this problem.  Reduce stress, limit caffeine, avoid smoking and alcohol if you have arrhythmias or other conditions affecting your heart’s natural beating pattern.

These are just three of the many conditions that affect the heart.  To learn more about how your heart works and preventative measures to reduce your chances of developing heart disease, visit the American Heart Association for more information.