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.
