This chapter analyses breathing. This is associated with changes in the volume of the chest. It details how the chest is expanded and air enters the lungs during inspiration, while the volume of the chest decreases and air is expelled from the lungs during expiration. This movement of air into and out of the lungs is known as ventilation and the volume of air entering and leaving the lungs each minute is called the minute volume, which is the product of the air taken in each breath and the number of breaths taken each minute. The chapter looks at the mechanisms responsible for the changes in the dimensions of the chest and the factors governing the flow of air in the airways. The volume of air that moves in and out of the chest during breathing can be measured with the aid of a spirometer.
Chapter
Introduction to the respiratory system
Chapter
Respiratory disease: asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD)
This chapter looks at respiratory diseases, particularly asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). It examines the anatomy and physiology of the lungs and how they change following the onset of asthma and COPD, the most common respiratory diseases. Asthma treatment involves two main classes of drugs, which are bronchodilators and anti-inflammatories. Despite the effectiveness of the drugs used in asthma treatment, asthma is commonly associated with significant morbidity, and a considerable number of patients suffer frequent attacks if not daily attacks. The chapter explains that COPD is a disease state with chronic bronchitis and emphysema before detailing how to manage the disease.
Chapter
The respiratory system
This chapter details the principal role of the respiratory system, which is to provide an exchange of gases between the body and the environment. It outlines the functions of the respiratory system, such as its contribution to the maintenance of plasma pH and the production of sound. It also explains how the respiratory system ensures that adequate amounts of oxygen are delivered to tissues and carbon dioxide is efficiently removed when exchanging gases in a variety of environmental challenges. The chapter talks about the paired lungs that sit inside the thorax, which are formed from a series of bifurcations of a single trachea. It details how air enters the lung by a suction pump, wherein inspiration results in an increase in volume and a decrease in pressure inside the lungs.
