The respiratory system is the system of the body that allows us to breathe and lets us go through cellular respiration. However, breathing and cellular respiration are two very different things. Breathing is just inhaling and exhaling, whereas respiration is how our body gets and uses oxygen and expels carbon dioxide. With this in mind, there are also many parts of the respiratory system. The lungs are the main part of the system. They are made up of epithelial tissue. The alveoli are tiny air sacs in the lungs also made up of epithelial tissue. Oxygen exchange occurs here. Also, there is connective tissue that connects all of the different organs in the system. Finally, there is nervous tissue, so that the brain can control what goes on.
However, in order for the lungs and alveoli to do their jobs, the air has to get to them. That's where the trachea come into play. The trachea is a tube in your throat that the air goes through. This eventually leads to your lungs, however it branches off a whole lot on the way (trachea, bronchi, and bronchioles).
The respiratory system is also very closely intertwined with the circulatory system. The respiratory system gets the oxygen into our body, and then the circulatory system takes it all over our body through our blood.
However, in order for the lungs and alveoli to do their jobs, the air has to get to them. That's where the trachea come into play. The trachea is a tube in your throat that the air goes through. This eventually leads to your lungs, however it branches off a whole lot on the way (trachea, bronchi, and bronchioles).
The respiratory system is also very closely intertwined with the circulatory system. The respiratory system gets the oxygen into our body, and then the circulatory system takes it all over our body through our blood.
This video shows how the respiratory system works with other systems and our environment to obtain and use oxygen.
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