Human

Respiratory
System
 RESPIRATORY SYSTEM
• Respiration is a catabolic process in which the
respired oxygen is used in the oxidation of
food resulting in the release of energy. It is
brought about by respiratory organs.
 Respiratory Organ Animal

Lungs Reptiles like lizards, mammals like man,

camel, cattle, etc.

Skin Frog, earthworm and leeches

Gills Fishes, tadpoles and prawns

Trachea Insects, centipedes and millipedes.

Body surface Amoeba, Euglena, Chlamydomonas,

Spirogyra, Hydra, etc.

Book lungs Spider, scorpion, ticks and mites.

Book gills King crab, prawn, cray fish and Daphnia.

Air bladder Lung fish and bony fishes(e.g., Labeo).

Air sacs/lungs Birds

 Human Respiratory System
• Overall passage of air in humans is as follows:
Nostrils → Pharynx → Larynx → Trachea →
Bronchi → Bronchioles → Alveoli → Cells→
Blood.
 Nasal Cavity
• Sniffing
• Inner cavity lined with mucous membrane.
500ml everyday.
• Prevents dust, bacteria, small organisms.
• Make air wet & maintain the temperature.
 Pharynx
• Part of both respiratory & digestive system.
 Larynx
• Opening= glottis, covered by epiglottis
(cartilaginous flip)
• Vocal cord
 Trachea
• C shaped cartilaginous ring
• Lined by ciliated & mucus secreting epithelium
 Bronchi
• Each bronchus divided into bronchioles
• Then alveoli
• It’s the site of gaseous exchange
 Lungs
• Right > left (larger)
• Surrounded by pleural membrane
 Process of Respiration
• External
• Transportation of gases
• Internal
• Cellular
 External Respiration
• Gaseous exchange in lungs
1. Breathing
2. Exchange of gases
 External Respiration (Breathing or Ventilation
of Lungs)
• It involves inspiration and expiration of air.
• Inspiration is the process of intake of air. During inspiration, muscles
of the diaphragm contract and diaphragm flattens.
• The lower ribs are raised upward and outwards. The chest cavity
enlarges, the air pressure in the lungs gets decreased and air rushes
into the lungs.
• Expiration is breathing out of air. During expiration, relaxation of
muscles of the ribs and diaphragm takes place.
• Diaphragm again become dome-shaped. Chest cavity is reduced and
air is forced outwards through nose and trachea.
• Breathing rate in humans is 18 20 - times per min.
• The exchange of gases, i.e., oxygen and carbon dioxide takes place
due to the difference in their partial pressures.
 Breathing
• Air taken and out at certain rate
• Mechanism: Based on air pressure equilibrium
1. Inspiration: low pressure in body
2. Expiration: high pressure in body
• Inhaled air: 79% N, 21% O, 0.03% CO2
• Exhaled Air: 79% N, 17% O, 4% CO2
 Exchange of gases
• Inside lungs
• Mechanism: on the basis of concentration
gradient through normal diffusion which is on
both side.
 Transportation of Gases
• Gases to cells
• By haemoglobin
• CO2 transportation only 10-20%
1. CO2 – H2CO3 after mixing with plasma. 7%
2. Forms HCO3 ion mixes with K & Na. 70%
 Internal Respiration
• Gaseous exchange b/w blood & tissue
 Internal Respiration (Oxidation of Food)

• It is a complex process in which food is broken

down to release energy.
• Transportation of oxygen takes place by
haemoglobin of blood. Whereas transportation
of only 10-20% carbon dioxide takes place by
haemoglobin of blood.
• Approximately 400 ml water is lost through
breathing everyday.
 Cellular Respiration
• Glucose oxidised by O2
• 2 types
1. Aerobic
2. Anaerobic
 Aerobic Respiration
• The respiration taking place in the presence of oxygen is
known as aerobic respiration.
• This respiratory oxygen oxidises the substance into carbon
dioxide, water and energy, as follows
Glucose + O2→Carbon dioxide + Water + Energy (2870 KJ, 38
ATP)
• In this process, each glucose molecule is converted into two
molecules of pyruvic acid by the process, called glycolysis
(Embden Meyorh Pathway). It takes place in the cytoplasm of
the cell. The pyruvic acid formed, releases energy with the
formation of carbon dioxide and water (in Kreb’s cycle which
occur in mitochondria).
 Anaerobic Respiration
• The respiration taking place in the absence of
oxygen is known as anaerobic respiration.
• It is found in endoparasites like roundworm. In
this process, the respiratory substances are
incompletely oxidised to carbon dioxide and
alcohol.
Glucose (yeast) → Carbon dioxide + ethyl alcohol
+Energy (in plants)
Glucose → Lactic acid + Energy (in animals)
PHASES OF AEROBIC RESPIRATION
1. External Respiration (Breathing or Ventilation
of Lungs)
2. Internal Respiration (Oxidation of Food)
 Respiratory Substances
• Carbohydrates >> Fats >> Proteins
 Some Important Facts
• Respiration being a catalytic process, also reduces the weight of the
body.
• Respiration controlled by medulla oblongeta
• Cyanide breaks down the electron transport chain causing death in
second.
• Larynx or voice box or Adam’s apple produces sound. It has a small
flap of cartilage called the epiglottis, which prevents the food from
entering the trachea.
• Purring sound in cats is due to the vibration of false vocal cord.
• In hippopotamus, true vocal cord is absent.
• Total Lung Capacity (TLC) = 6000 mL
• Residual Volume (RV) = 1200 mL
• Tidal Volume (TV) = 500-600 ml
 Lung Diseases Affecting the Airways

• Your windpipe (trachea) branches into tubes called

bronchi, which in turn become smaller tubes
throughout your lungs. Diseases that can affect these
airways include:
• Asthma. Your airways are constantly inflamed and
may spasm, causing wheezing and shortness of
breath. Allergies, infections, or pollution can trigger
asthma symptoms.
• Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease(COPD). With
this lung condition, you can’t exhale the way you
usually would, which causes trouble breathing.
• Chronic bronchitis. This form of COPD brings a
long-term wet cough.
• Emphysema. Lung damage allows air to be
trapped in your lungs in this form of COPD.
Trouble blowing air out is its hallmark.
• Acute bronchitis.This sudden infection of your
airways is usually caused by a virus.
• Cystic fibrosis. With this condition, you have
trouble clearing mucus out of your bronchi. This
leads to repeated lung infections.
 Lung Diseases Affecting the Air Sacs (Alveoli)

• Your airways branch into tiny tubes (bronchioles) that end

in clusters of air sacs called alveoli. These air sacs make up
most of your lung tissue. Lung diseases affecting your
alveoli include:
• Pneumonia. An infection of your alveoli, usually by bacteria
or viruses, including the coronavirus that causes COVID-19.
• Tuberculosis Pneumonia that slowly gets worse, caused by
the bacteria Mycobacterium tuberculosis.
• Emphysema. This happens when the fragile links between
alveoli are damaged. Smoking is the usual cause.
(Emphysema also limits airflow, affecting your airways.)
• Pulmonary edema. Fluid leaks out of the small blood vessels of
your lung into the air sacs and the area around them. One form is
caused by heart failure and back pressure in your lungs' blood
vessels. In another form, injury to your lung causes the leak of
fluid.
• Lung cancer. It has many forms and may start in any part of your
lungs. It most often happens in the main part of your lung, in or
near the air sacs.
• Acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS). This is a severe,
sudden injury to the lungs from a serious illness. COVID-19 is one
example. Many people who have ARDS need help breathing from
a machine called a ventilator until their lungs recover.
• Pneumoconiosis. This is a category of conditions caused by
inhaling something that injures your lungs. Examples include
black lung disease from coal dust and asbestosis from asbestos
 dust.
 Lung Diseases Affecting Blood Vessels

• The right side of your heart gets low-oxygen blood from your

veins. It pumps blood into your lungs through the pulmonary 
arteries. These blood vessels can have diseases, as well.
• Pulmonary embolism(PE). A blood clot (usually in a deep leg
vein, called deep vein thrombosis) breaks off, travels to your 
heart, and gets pumped into your lungs. The clot sticks in a
pulmonary artery, often causing shortness of breath and low
blood oxygen levels.
• Pulmonary hypertension. Many conditions can cause 
high blood pressure in your pulmonary arteries. This can lead to
shortness of breath and chest pain. If your doctor can’t find a
cause, they’ll call it idiopathic pulmonary arterial hypertension.
 Lung Diseases Affecting the Chest Wall

• Your chest wall also plays an important role in breathing. Muscles

connect your ribs to each other, helping your chest expand. Your
diaphragm descends with each breath, also causing chest
expansion. Diseases that affect your chest wall include:

• Obesity hypoventilation syndrome. Extra weight on your chest

and belly can make it hard for your chest to expand. This may
cause serious breathing problems.

• Neuromuscular disorders. You might have trouble breathing when

the nerves that control your respiratory muscles don’t work the
way they should. Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis and 
myasthenia gravis are examples of neuromuscular lung disease.