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Respiratory System

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RESPIRATORY SYSTEM The respiratory system consists of all the organs involved in breathing. These include the nose, pharynx, larynx, trachea, bronchi and lungs. The respiratory system does two very important things: it brings oxygen into our bodies, which we need for our cells to live and function properly; and it helps us get rid of carbon dioxide, which is a waste product of cellular function. The nose, pharynx, larynx, trachea and bronchi all work like a system of pipes through which the air is funnelled down into our lungs. There, in very small air sacs called alveoli, oxygen is brought into the bloodstream and carbon dioxide is pushed from the blood out into the air. When something goes wrong with part of the respiratory …show more content…

These new strains now pose a significant public health problem. In emphysema the alveolar tissue is partially destroyed and the remaining alveoli are weakened and enlarge. The bronchioles collapse on exhalation, trapping air in the alveoli. Over time this process impairs the ability to exchange oxygen and carbon dioxide with the circulatory system, leading to breathing difficulties. A noncontiguous disease, emphysema results from multiple factors, including a genetic predisposition to the condition, smog, cigarette smoke, and infection. Lung cancer develops in individuals with a genetic predisposition to the disease who are exposed to cancer-causing agents, such as tobacco smoke, asbestos, and uranium. Cancerous tumors may start in the bronchi, bronchioles, or in the alveolar lung tissue. If lung cancer is detected before the cancer has spread to other parts of the body, treatments are more effective, and the prognosis for full recovery is good. Unfortunately, 85 percent of lung cancer cases are diagnosed after the cancer has spread, and for these cases, the prognosis is very poor. Respiratory Distress Syndrome (RDS) is the name for a cluster of symptoms that indicate severe malfunctioning of the lungs. In infants, RDS is termed Infant Respiratory Distress Syndrome (IRDS). Commonly found in premature infants, IRDS results when the alveoli fail to fully expand during inhalation. Expansion of the alveoli requires a chemical

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