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Three Parts Of The Respiratory System

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The respiratory system consists of the lungs and air passages. The system functions to bring in air and extract oxygen and remove carbon dioxide*. The body can hold 4 to 6 minutes worth of oxygen so the respiratory system must work at all times to prevent death. There are multiple parts to the respiratory system for example, the nose has nostrils or nares. It contains a nasal septum which divides the nose into hollow spaces called nasal cavities. The nose filters the air with the mucus produced. Also located in the nose are the olfactory receptors, and nasolacrimal ducts. The sinuses which are resonating chambers of cavities located in the skull. A larger part of the respiratory system is the pharynx also known as the throat. It is located directly behind the nasal area, divided into three parts; nasopharynx(upper portion), Oropharynx(middle portion), Laryngopharynx (lower portion). The larynx also known as the “voice box” located between the trachea and pharynx. Trachea also known as the windpipe extends from the larynx to the center of the chest; its functions to carry air between the pharynx and bronchi. The bronchi function to carry air to the lungs. The right bronchus is more vertical, shorter, and wider compared to the left.Bronchi continue to branch off into smaller bronchioles, the smallest is called terminal bronchioles which deliver air to the alveoli. 500 million alveoli, which have a rich network of capillaries needed for exchange of oxygen and CO2( taken place

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