Respiratory System: Characteristics, Parts, Functions And Diseases
The respiratory apparatus or system refers to the set of organs that living beings have for the purpose of exchanging gases with the environment This cold definition is postulated early, but the concept is put more into perspective when we take into account that oxygen is the engine of cellular work, with all that this entails.
Mitochondria (cellular organelles) convert glucose and oxygen into high-energy bonds that can be stored in ATP and used by the cell for its metabolism. Thus, we can safely say that, together with water, the air in the environment makes life as we know it possible.
That is why to cover the mammoth world of the respiratory system we require a multidisciplinary approach: it is not enough for us to focus on its morphology, but we must also explore what happens when it fails and the numerical data that support its importance. If you want to get a general idea about this exciting physiological conglomerate, continue reading.
According to the Royal Spanish Academy of Language, the term “system” in its most biological meaning is defined as a set of organs that intervene in some of the main vegetative functions of living beings. In this case there is no doubt that we are facing the breathing phenomenon which is said soon.
To begin to dissect this network of biological networks and mechanisms, we can focus on the parts of this apparatus. Let’s go there.
Parts of the respiratory system
It is necessary to clarify that the respiratory system is made up of three different parts.
First of all, we have an air-conducting portion (nasal cavities, bronchi, bronchioles…etc), or what is the same, a series of branched tubules through which gases circulate.
Beyond this, a respiratory portion can also be distinguished for gas exchange, where the most “bloody” component of the system comes into play (for example, this includes the alveoli and their capillaries). Finally, to close this triad, living beings have a ventilatory mechanism, which “pumps” the entry and exit of gases from our body (thoracic cage and intercostal muscles, for example).
We are faced with a system of complex evolutionary origin that imitates machinery of exquisite sophistication (or rather the other way around, since every machine is based on physical and biological processes).
This device features a series of highways and travel channels (conductive portion), a material exchange center (alveoli and associated circulatory parts) and a pumping device that exerts the pressures necessary for the “machine” to function (the muscles, rib cage and diaphragm). All these elements are perfectly matched to maximize the individual’s energy output at any given time
Yes, we could present you with a list of all the organs and structures associated with this device: nasal passages, larynx, pharynx, trachea, lungs, diaphragm…etc, but we would be missing a lot of relevant information that you may not know. Let’s remember: to understand a system, even in a general way, We should not limit ourselves only to their physiological structures So, let’s take a leap into the world of breathing.
Breathing and its numbers
The process by which living beings exchange gases with the external environment is called “respiration.” What not many people know is that this term has another meaning, since respiration is also considered the set of biochemical reactions by which some organic compounds are completely degraded, by oxidation, until they become inorganic substances. As you may have guessed, this is cellular respiration, or in other words, the process of obtaining energy.
We are going to focus on the first of the definitions of the term: pulmonary respiration (in vertebrates, since other animals breathe through tracheas or gills). As a general concept, we can affirm that the process of inspiration and expiration is a game of pressures Intrapleural pressure, intrathoracic volume, associated musculature and the diaphragm vary in position and functionality so that this mechanical activity can be performed without problems. How does this translate into objective figures?
This data puts things into perspective, right? Due to the functionality of the respiratory system, The oxygen content in the body of any living being is higher in the organs involved in this process, but it decreases throughout any arterial and venous system This oxygen content is quantified with the partial pressure, that is, the theoretical pressure of the gas if it occupied the entire volume of the original mixture. The alveolar pressure of pulmonary gases is 14.2 Kpa (Kilopascals).
All these facts and figures are of great interest, but not all that glitters is gold. Such a complex system requires exquisite integration of all its components and unfortunately, this is not always the case.
Diseases of the respiratory system
We have talked about the parts of this device and the respiratory process, but we cannot leave it unclear what happens when it fails. The World Health Organization gives us the following data :
We could continue exposing data like this for years. Respiratory diseases can be caused by bacteria, viruses, helminth parasites, allergies, dysfunctions in the immune system, cancer, hereditary diseases and many other causes. Basically, Anything that can enter the upper or lower airways can cause pathology
The apparent vulnerability of the respiratory system reaches such a point that even fungi can grow inside the lungs. This is the case of bronchopulmonary aspergillosis and invasive pulmonary aspergillosis pathologies caused by the fungus of the genus Aspergillus.
Such is the lethality of this disease that, if it spreads through the patient’s organs, the mortality rate can reach more than 87%. To the relief of readers, this condition only occurs in immunocompromised people or people with severe respiratory conditions.
Another of the queens of respiratory tract pathologies is, without a doubt, lung cancer In Spain, around 18,000 people die annually from this malignant tumor process, which corresponds to 27% of all cancer deaths. Smoking is associated with up to 90% of lung cancer deaths, so the recommendations stand alone.
Summary
As we have seen, the respiratory system gives us one of lime and another of sand. On the one hand, it is an exciting device that integrates the functions of various organs and structures in an exact way, but on the other, its malfunction and disorders can end the patient’s life depending on your immune situation, place of origin and lifestyle habits.
Once again, we are not only moving in a physiological field, because beyond the tissues and structures that give shape and name to a system, there are a series of exciting numerical data that are usually ignored when addressing issues of this nature. so concrete.
Respiratory system, student resources of the University of Alcalá de Henares (UAH). Collected on September 25 at https://portal.uah.es/portal/page/portal/epd2_asignaturas/asig650019/informacion_academica/Respiratorio.pdf
Lung cancer, AECC. Collected on September 25 at https://www.aecc.es/es/todo-sobre-cancer/tipos-cancer/cancer-pulmon/evolucion-cancer-pulmon#:~:text=Mortality%20del%20c%C3 %A1ncer%20of%20pulm%C3%B3n,%25%20of%20total%20of%20deaths).
How the Lungs Work, National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute (NIH). Collected on September 25 at https://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health-topics/espanol/como-funcan-los-pulmones#:~:text=Los%20pulmones%20hacen%20ingresar%20el%20ox%C3 %ADgeno%20a%20the%20blood%20and,a%20make%20possible%20the%20breathing%C3%B3n.
Chronic Respiratory Diseases, World Health Organization (WHO). Collected on September 25 at https://www.who.int/respiratory/es/
Pérez-Arellano, JL, Andrade, MA, López-Abán, J., Carranza, C., & Muro, A. (2006). Helminths and respiratory system. Archives of Bronconeumology, 42(2), 81-91.
The global impact of respiratory diseases, World Health Organization (WHO). Collected on September 25 at https://www.who.int/gard/publications/The_Global_Impact_of_Respiratory_Disease_ES.pdf
