Anatomy in Action by Theodore Dimon Jr

Author:Theodore Dimon, Jr. [Dimon, Theodore]
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9781623175818
Publisher: North Atlantic Books

Respiration, then, has two phases. In the first phase—sometimes called external respiration because it involves direct contact with the outside—we take air into our lungs. The alveoli, the little sacs of the lungs, intersect with fine capillaries and here, where the oxygen meets the capillary walls, the blood absorbs the oxygen and circulates it through the body. In the second phase—called internal respiration because it takes place deep within cells—the oxygen is transferred to tissues throughout the body including the brain, the heart, skeletal muscles, and organs. We think breathing goes on in the lungs, but it really happens at the cellular level throughout our body’s tissues (Fig. 7-16).

Neither of these phases, however, can take place without bodily movement. We get air into the lungs by alternately expanding and contracting the thorax and contracting the diaphragm, and these movements are just that: movements. Breathing happens at the cellular level, but it depends on the flexible movements of the ribs and diaphragm, which are in turn part of the upright support system. If we interfere with these movements because we are habitually holding our breath, trying to take deep breaths, or mouth-breathing, we interfere with both the movements and the upright support system. The best way to see to it that our tissues are receiving the oxygen they need is to stop holding our breath and to breathe quietly and slowly through our nostrils so that our lungs receive more air and waste products can be efficiently expelled. If, in addition, we learn to let the air out slowly by controlling the exhalation, then—without even thinking about breathing—the air can come in on its own and we are able to breathe easily and efficiently.

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