Moving air into the lungs requires:
Question
Moving air into the lungs requires:
Solution
Moving air into the lungs requires several steps:
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Inhalation: This is the first step in the process of moving air into the lungs. It begins when you contract the muscles in your diaphragm, causing it to flatten and move downward. This increases the space in your chest cavity, into which your lungs expand.
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Pressure Changes: The increase in the chest cavity causes a decrease in lung pressure in comparison to the outside air. This pressure difference causes air to flow into the lungs.
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Air Travels to the Lungs: The air you inhale travels down your trachea and into your bronchi, which are the main passageways into your lungs.
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Gas Exchange: The bronchi branch into smaller and smaller tubes that end in tiny air sacs called alveoli. It is here that oxygen in the air is absorbed into the bloodstream and carbon dioxide, a waste product of metabolism, is exhaled.
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Exhalation: Finally, the diaphragm and intercostal muscles (the muscles between your ribs) relax, causing the chest cavity to decrease and forcing air out of the lungs.
This process is repeated over and over, typically without conscious thought, to continually provide the body with oxygen and remove carbon dioxide.
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