Respiratory Systems

These flashcards cover essential vocabulary and concepts related to Chapter 35 on Respiratory Systems from BIOL 1000.

Respiration

The uptake of oxygen and the simultaneous release of carbon dioxide.

Ventilation

Breathing process that includes inspiration (inhalation) and expiration (exhalation).

Inspiration

The entrance of air into the lungs, also known as breathing in.

Expiration

The exit of air from the lungs, also known as breathing out.

External Respiration

The process by which blood takes up oxygen from the lungs and releases carbon dioxide into the lungs.

Internal Respiration

The process by which blood delivers oxygen to the tissues and takes up carbon dioxide from the tissues.

Aquatic Animals

Animals that live in water and obtain oxygen through various methods like gills or direct diffusion.

Gills

Thin sheets of tissue used by some aquatic animals to extract oxygen from water.

Tracheae

A network of air ducts used by some terrestrial animals for respiration.

Lungs

Organs used by some animals for breathing, designed for gas exchange.

Countercurrent Exchange

A mechanism in gills where exchange occurs as fluids flow side-by-side in opposite directions.

Gill Filaments

Thin membranous plates stacked in rows that project into the flow of water for respiration in fish.

Alveoli

Chambers or sacs in the lungs where internal gas exchange occurs between air and blood.

Bronchi

Tubes that branch off the trachea and lead into the lungs.

Diaphragm

A muscle that separates the thoracic and abdominal cavities and plays a crucial role in breathing.

Hemoglobin

The protein in red blood cells that carries oxygen within the circulatory system.

Erythrocytes

Red blood cells that contain hemoglobin.

Bicarbonate Ions

The form in which most carbon dioxide is carried in the plasma, represented as HCO3-.

Carcinogens

Agents that can cause cancer, often sharing properties with mutagens.

Mutagens

Chemicals or radiation that can damage DNA.

Lung Cancer

A disease significantly caused by smoking, accounting for 90% of cases.

Inhalation

The process by which air enters the lungs through contractions of the diaphragm.

Exhalation

The process wherein air is expelled from the lungs as the diaphragm relaxes.

Larynx

Also known as the voice box, located at the opening of the trachea.

Alveoli Function

Site in the lungs where gas exchange occurs between air and blood.

Cilia

Tiny hair-like structures that help move mucus and debris out of the respiratory tract.

Gas Exchange

The process of exchanging oxygen and carbon dioxide in the lungs and tissues.

Oxygen Transport

The method by which hemoglobin carries oxygen in the blood.

Carbon Dioxide Transport

Most carbon dioxide is transported as bicarbonate ions, not directly by hemoglobin.

Amphibians

Terrestrial vertebrates that can respire through moist skin and lungs.

Reptiles

Terrestrial vertebrates that rely on lungs with increased surface area for respiration.

Mammals

Organisms that require more oxygen than reptiles and have complex lung architecture.

Respiratory System

The organ system responsible for gas exchange in organisms.

Pulmonary Arteries

Blood vessels that carry deoxygenated blood from the heart to the lungs.

Pulmonary Veins

Blood vessels that carry oxygenated blood from the lungs back to the heart.