Like the fact that I was actually inhaling all the crap coming in from outside. Let me start by saying that I am one of those people who's kind of always coughing.
Maybe that's why I didn't notice how bad it had gotten. I was coughing constantly—like all day, all the time. When I would lie down for bed, that's when it got even worse. I'd cough for about 10 minutes before falling asleep. I also cleared my throat—a lot—and it would take a couple tries before it actually felt like it was clear.
I'd find myself apologizing to the people I worked with, saying things like, "sorry—I have no idea what's wrong with my throat today.
One afternoon my mom was over at my place and pointed out how frequently I was doing it. The larynx plural larynges , colloquially known as the voice box, is an organ in our neck involved in protection of the trachea and sound production.
The larynx houses the vocal cords, and is situated just below where the tract of the pharynx splits into the trachea and the esophagus. The larynx contains two important structures: the epiglottis and the vocal cords. The epiglottis is a flap of cartilage located at the opening to the larynx.
During swallowing, the larynx at the epiglottis and at the glottis closes to prevent swallowed material from entering the lungs; the larynx is also pulled upwards to assist this process. Stimulation of the larynx by ingested matter produces a strong cough reflex to protect the lungs. Note: choking occurs when the epiglottis fails to cover the trachea, and food becomes lodged in our windpipe.
The vocal cords consist of two folds of connective tissue that stretch and vibrate when air passes through them, causing vocalization. The length the vocal cords are stretched determines what pitch the sound will have.
The strength of expiration from the lungs also contributes to the loudness of the sound. Our ability to have some voluntary control over the respiratory system enables us to sing and to speak. In order for the larynx to function and produce sound, we need air. Air travels from the larynx to the trachea Figure 1. The trachea is a tubular structure consisting of dense connective tissue and rings of hyaline cartilage. The trachea is lined with ciliated pseudostratified columnar epithelium with goblet cells.
The epithelium moves substances toward the larynx and esophagus for swallowing. The cartilage rings do not completely encircle the trachea but are open posteriorly. The posterior section of the trachea contains a ligament and smooth muscle known as the trachealis muscle. The trachealis muscle can contract and constrict the trachea.
The trachea usually ends at about the level of the fifth thoracic segment. Surrounding the alveoli are capillaries. The lungs give up their oxygen to the capillaries through the alveoli. Likewise, carbon dioxide is taken from the capillaries and into the alveoli. Body cells use the inhaled oxygen gotten from the alveoli of the lungs. In turn, they produce carbon dioxide and water, which is taken to the alveoli and then exhaled.
These exchanges occur as a result of diffusion. In each case the materials move from an area of high concentration to an area of lower concentration. Here the blood flows from the lungs to the body cells. The alveoli take in the water and the carbon dioxide:. The alveoli are well suited for the important job they have. There are about ,, alveoli per lung! That means there is a great surface area for gas exchange.
Also, the walls of the alveoli as well as the capillaries are very thin so that the gases can diffuse readily. When the blood picks up the diffused gases the gases are carried to their destinations. Carbon dioxide and water are carried in the plasma of the blood. The following chart compares the content of air before as it is inhaled Inspired Air and as it is exhaled Expired Air.
Inspired and Expired Air Comparison. Inspired Air. Expired Air. No real change. Reduced by about a quarter. Carbon Dioxide. Increased by about a hundred and five times. Water Vapour. Increased about five times. Note: a lot of water is lost from the body each day due to breathing. Inspiration or inhalation is said to be an active process because it involves muscle contraction. The diaphragm and intercostal muscles contract. The chest cavity, or thorax pronounced: THOR-aks , is the airtight box that houses the bronchial tree, lungs, heart, and other structures.
The top and sides of the thorax are formed by the ribs and attached muscles, and the bottom is formed by a large muscle called the diaphragm pronounced: DYE-uh-fram. The chest walls form a protective cage around the lungs and other contents of the chest cavity. The cells in our bodies need oxygen to stay alive. Carbon dioxide is made in our bodies as cells do their jobs. The lungs and respiratory system allow oxygen in the air to be taken into the body, while also letting the body get rid of carbon dioxide in the air breathed out.
When you breathe in, the diaphragm moves downward toward the abdomen, and the rib muscles pull the ribs upward and outward. This makes the chest cavity bigger and pulls air through the nose or mouth into the lungs. In exhalation, the diaphragm moves upward and the chest wall muscles relax, causing the chest cavity to get smaller and push air out of respiratory system through the nose or mouth.
Every few seconds, with each inhalation, air fills a large portion of the millions of alveoli. In a process called diffusion, oxygen moves from the alveoli to the blood through the capillaries tiny blood vessels lining the alveolar walls.
0コメント