How does air keeps us 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.

Once in the bloodstream, oxygen gets picked up by the hemoglobin in red blood cells. This oxygen-rich blood then flows back to the heart, which pumps it through the arteries to oxygen-hungry tissues throughout the body.

In the tiny capillaries of the body tissues, oxygen is freed from the hemoglobin and moves into the cells. Carbon dioxide, made by the cells as they do their work, moves out of the cells into the capillaries, where most of it dissolves in the plasma of the blood.

Blood rich in carbon dioxide then returns to the heart via the veins. From the heart, this blood is pumped to the lungs, where carbon dioxide passes into the alveoli to be exhaled. Reviewed by: Larissa Hirsch, MD. Working on the ECLSS I often think about how our beautiful planet silently supplies 7 billion people with what they need to stay alive. Seeing this ecosystem from above — our pale blue dot — it is still unfathomable. But one thing does become clear: our eco-system is not a silent all-encompassing never-ending resource, but a fragile, thin layer of life-support on what would otherwise be a world as barren as the Moon.

Recycling, care and attention go a long way. Excellent job — thanks for the ride with your team. Good luck with future endeavors and hope to hear more about you and your work. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed. The system that is keeping us alive. Our system. Written by Alexander. The top and sides of the thorax are formed by the ribs and attached muscles, and the bottom by a large muscle called the diaphragm.

The chest walls form a protective cage around the lungs and other contents of the chest cavity. The diaphragm pronounced: DYE-uh-fram , which separates the chest from the abdomen, plays a lead role in breathing. When we breathe out, the diaphragm moves upward, forcing the chest cavity to get smaller and pushing the gases in the lungs up and out of the nose and mouth.

When we breathe in, the diaphragm moves downward toward the abdomen, and the rib muscles pull the ribs upward and outward, enlarging the chest cavity and pulling air in through the nose or mouth. Air pressure in the chest cavity and lungs is reduced, and because gas flows from high pressure to low, air from the environment flows through the nose or mouth into the lungs. As we exhale, the diaphragm moves upward and the chest wall muscles relax, causing the chest cavity to contract.

Air pressure in the lungs rises, so air flows from the lungs and up and out of respiratory system through the nose or mouth. Many factors — including genetics, pollutants and irritants, and infectious diseases — can affect the health of your lungs and respiratory system and cause respiratory problems. Problems of the respiratory system that can affect people during their teen years include:. Asthma is a long-term, inflammatory lung disease that causes airways to tighten and narrow when a person with the condition comes into contact with irritants such as cigarette smoke, dust, or pet dander.

In bronchitis, the membranes lining the larger bronchial tubes become inflamed and an excessive amount of mucus is produced. The person with bronchitis develops a bad cough to get rid of the mucus. Common cold.

Colds are caused by over different viruses that cause inflammation in the upper respiratory tract. The common cold is the most common respiratory infection. Symptoms may include a mild fever, cough, headache, runny nose, sneezing, and sore throat. A cough is a symptom of an illness, not an illness itself. There are many different types of cough and many different causes, ranging from not-so-serious to life threatening.

Some of the more common causes affecting kids and teens are the common cold, asthma, sinusitis, seasonal allergies, and pneumonia. Cystic fibrosis CF. CF is an inherited disease affecting the lungs. CF causes mucus in the body to be abnormally thick and sticky.

The mucus can clog the airways in the lungs and make a person more likely to get bacterial infections. Pneumonia is an inflammation of the lungs, which usually occurs because of infection with a bacteria or virus. Pneumonia causes fever, inflammation of lung tissue, and makes breathing difficult because the lungs have to work harder to transfer oxygen into the bloodstream and remove carbon dioxide from the blood.

Common causes of pneumonia are influenza and infection with the bacterium Streptococcus pneumoniae. Note: All information on KidsHealth is for educational purposes only. For specific medical advice, diagnoses, and treatment, consult your doctor. All rights reserved. Find a Doctor. About Us.