Organs of the human respiratory system

Now, what does our Respiratory system do? Besides helping us inhale (breathe in) and exhale (breath out), our Respiratory system also has many functions such as allowing us to talk and smell. The respiratory system helps us to maintain our body temperature by warming the air we inhale to match our body temperature and also helps us to moisturise the inhaled air to the humidity level that our body needs. The respiratory system plays a major and vital function in our body which is to deliver oxygen to the cells present in our body. 

It also helps in the removal of waste gases such as carbon dioxide by removing it from our bodies when we exhale the air out. In the organs of the human respiratory system, it helps us to protect our airways from substances that are harmful to our body and also from particular irritants. Many different organs work together in our Respiratory system to help us breathe. The organs of the respiratory system include:

Mouth and nose

The mouth and nose are the openings of our body that help in inhaling the air from outside to our body and further into our Respiratory system. Then it goes into the nostrils also known as nares, the air is heated up there to match our body temperature and then gets moisturised and humidified. Cilia (tiny hairs present in our nasal cavity) give protection to our nasal passage and the various parts of the respiratory tract by filtering out the dust particles that may enter our nose through the air we inhale. The airway has two openings known as the nasal cavity and the mouth in our organs of the respiratory system; both these openings meet at the pharynx or the throat, which is present at the back of our nose and mouth. 

Sinuses

The hollow area present in between the bones in our head is what we call the sinus. Sinuses help in regulating the temperature and water content of the air we inhale. Ostium is the opening of each sinus, which connects to the nose. The function of the sinus is to lighten the skull and provide an improvement in our voices. But the major function of the sinus is to produce mucus that helps in moisturising the inner tract of the nose. This presence of the mucus layer helps in protecting the nose from foreign objects such as pollutants, micro-organisms, dust, and dirt particles. Then the tiny hair present in our nasal cavity known as cilia helps to move the layer of the mucus backward into the throat, where it is further swallowed.

Pharynx 

Pharynx is most commonly known as the throat. The pharynx is a muscular, funnel-shaped tract inside the body which connects the nose and mouth to the oesophagus which leads to the stomach, and also the larynx which leads to the trachea and the lungs. It is also a vital organ in our respiratory system. The pharynx is located in the middle of the neck; the pharynx starts at the bottom part of the skull and also lengthens up to about 4.5 inches long. The pharynx is also one of the main organs of the human respiratory system, that’s why it carries out many functions in the process of respiration such as it carries air to the respiratory system. The pharynx acts as a medium to get the food and liquid delivered to the digestive system, pushes the food into the oesophagus, and also helps in equalising the pressure in the ears and drains the ear fluid.

Trachea

A long tube that connects our larynx (voice box) to our bronchi is the trachea. The air is sent to our lungs with the help of bronchi. Our trachea is also the main organ of the human respiratory system. The trachea consists of rings made of cartilage. The rings made of cartilage are lined with cells that produce mucus. This mucus helps in filtering allergens, dust particles, or other debris out of our lungs. The trachea’s main function is to mainly carry the inhaled and exhaled air in and out of our lungs. This function is carried out by the trachea due to its stiff, flexible tube which provides a reliable passageway for the oxygen to enter our body.

Bronchial tubes

Bronchial tubes are the tubes present at the bottom of the windpipe that opens up to each lung. When the air breathed by a person comes in through the nose or mouth and then goes straight into the trachea also known as the windpipe. From the trachea, it then passes through the bronchial tubes, which are present in the lungs. These bronchial tubes help in letting the air in and out of your lungs, to allow us to breathe. The bronchial tubes can also be referred to as bronchi or airways.

Lungs

The lung is an organ of the respiratory system which allows us to breathe. They carry oxygen to our body also called inspiration, or inhalation, and send away the carbon dioxide out of the body also known as expiration, or exhalation. And this exchange of oxygen and carbon dioxide is what we call respiration. The lungs can inflate and deflate without losing shape because of the elastic tissues present in them. These elastic tissues are covered by a thin lining known as the pleura. 

Do you want to know what the 10 organs of the respiratory system are? Nose, The mouth, Throat (pharynx), Voice box (larynx), windpipe (trachea), Large airways (bronchi), Small airways(bronchioles), 

Conclusion

Lungs, Chest cavity, and Diaphragm are the 10 organs of the respiratory system. The whole respiratory system carries out a lot of functions which include gas exchange, metabolism of endogenous and foreign agents, and providing defence against disease and also chemical injury. The anatomical features present in the respiratory system consist of various specialised cells that are superiorly suited to perform and carry out such vital functions as breathing.