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Basic Respiratory Physiology

One process vital to our body's ability to function is our ability to take oxygen(O₂) from the air we breathe and deliver it to the cells in our body.  This process starts by breathing air into our lungs where it crosses through a thin air sac called an alveolus.  We each have millions of alveoli in our lungs (enough to cover a tennis court).  After air passes through an alveoli, it crosses into a tiny blood vessel called a capillary which surrounds the alveoli.  Once an oxygen molecule is in the bloodstream, the majority is picked up by hemoglobin on our red blood cells and is pumped through the body by the heart.  As it is being pumped through the bloodstream, oxygen is delivered to each cell in our body where it is used with the nutrients we eat, to make energy and keep the cell functioning.  After the oxygen molecule is used, the cell gives off water(H₂0) and carbon dioxide(C0₂) into the bloodstream where it is pumped by the heart back to the lungs.  The C0₂ then passes into the alveoli and is exhaled into the air.  So our lungs have basically two functions, to breathe oxygen in and exhale CO₂ out.  This continuing process keeps our cells alive and healthy and gives us energy.