Lungs how does it work

Lungs The lungs are located on either side of the breastbone in the chest cavity and are divided into five main sections lobes. Muscles Many muscles are required to help the lungs expand and tighten during breathing: The diaphragm: Located below the lungs, the diaphragm is the main muscle needed to breathe. It separates the chest and abdominal cavities and contracts to help inflate the lungs. Intercostal muscles: Located between the ribs, these muscles give the lungs room to breathe by expanding and contracting the chest cavity.

Abdominal muscles: These muscles give the lungs room to breathe by compressing the organs in the abdominal cavity. Neck and upper chest muscles: These muscles help you breathe when lung disease or damage to other muscles makes breathing difficult. Lung Center. They bring oxygen into our bodies called inspiration, or inhalation and send carbon dioxide out called expiration, or exhalation. Air enters the respiratory system through the nose or the mouth.

If it goes in the nostrils also called nares , the air is warmed and humidified. Tiny hairs called cilia pronounced: SIL-ee-uh protect the nasal passageways and other parts of the respiratory tract, filtering out dust and other particles that enter the nose through the breathed air.

The two openings of the airway the nasal cavity and the mouth meet at the pharynx pronounced: FAR-inks , or throat, at the back of the nose and mouth. The pharynx is part of the digestive system as well as the respiratory system because it carries both food and air. At the bottom of the pharynx, this pathway divides in two, one for food — the esophagus pronounced: ih-SAH-fuh-gus , which leads to the stomach — and the other for air. The epiglottis pronounced: eh-pih-GLAH-tus , a small flap of tissue, covers the air-only passage when we swallow, keeping food and liquid from going into the lungs.

The larynx, or voice box, is the top part of the air-only pipe. This short tube contains a pair of vocal cords, which vibrate to make sounds. The trachea, or windpipe, is the continuation of the airway below the larynx. Your lungs are part of the respiratory system, a group of organs and tissues that work together to help you breathe. The respiratory system's main job is to move fresh air into your body while removing waste gases.

Every cell in your body needs oxygen in order to live. The air we breathe contains oxygen and other gases. Once in the lungs, oxygen is moved into the bloodstream and carried through your body. At each cell in your body, oxygen is exchanged for a waste gas called carbon dioxide. Your bloodstream then carries this waste gas back to the lungs where it is removed from the bloodstream and then exhaled.

Your lungs and respiratory system automatically perform this vital process, called gas exchange. In addition to gas exchange, your respiratory system performs other roles important to breathing. These include:. Lung capacity declines as you age. Keep your lungs healthy by taking good care of yourself every day.

Your lungs bring fresh oxygen into your body. They remove the carbon dioxide and other waste gases that your body's doesn't need. To breathe in inhale , you use the muscles of your rib cage — especially the major muscle, the diaphragm. Your diaphragm tightens and flattens, allowing you to suck air into your lungs.

To breathe out exhale , your diaphragm and rib cage muscles relax.