Your Blood & Respiratory System

I. Components of Blood A. You have about 4-6 liters of blood in your

body, 45% consists of blood cells while the other 55% is a fluid called plasma.

II. Blood Cells A. There are 3 cellular components of blood

including: 1. Red Blood Cells – transport oxygen and get

their color from hemoglobin (helps collect oxygen)

2. White Blood Cells (leukocytes)– guard against infection, fight parasites, & attack bacteria

3. Platelets – enable the body to clot with the help of plasma proteins a. Cluster at the edges of broken blood vessels

produce a sticky mesh of filaments

III. Plasma A. Plasma is a straw-colored fluid that is mostly

water and dissolved gases, salts, nutrients, enzymes, hormones, waste products, & proteins.

B. Plasma proteins perform a variety of functions including: 1. Transport substances such as fatty acids, hormones, &

vitamins 2. Regulate osmotic pressure & blood volume 3. Fight viral & bacterial infections

IV. Lymphatic system A. A series of vessels, nodes,

& organs collects fluid that leak from the circulatory system and returns it back. 1. The fluid is called lymph

a. Also important when it comes to absorption

V. Respiration A. Cellular level – release of ATP from the

breakdown of food in the presence of oxygen

B. Organism level – process of gas exchange

VI. Human Respiratory System A. Main function: to bring about the exchange of

oxygen & carbon dioxide between blood, the air, & tissues

B. The system consists of : 1. Nose 2. Pharynx 3. Trachea 4. Larynx 5. Bronchi 6. Lungs

1. Nose – air moves through the nose 2. Pharynx – passageway for both air & food 3. Trachea – windpipe (epiglottis flap closes when

you swallow)

Above all contain hairs & cells that produce mucus

4. Larynx – top of the trachea contains the 2 vibrating elastic tissue folds

5. Bronchi – 2 large passageways in the chest cavity leading to one lung a. Each bronchus subdivides into smaller bronchi

(bronchioles), full of tiny air sacs called alveoli (capillaries surround them)

VII. Breathing A. The force driving pour breathing

is simply air pressure B. Our lungs are sealed in 2 sacs in

the chest cavity below this is a muscle known as the diaphragm. 1. When you inhale the diaphragm

contracts, increasing the chest cavity & creating a pressure gradient

C. The medulla oblongata controls your breathing, receiving a signal from cells when the level of carbon dioxide rises

IIX. Tobacco & the Respiratory System A. Substances in tobacco that is harmful for

you respiratory system includes: nicotine, carbon monoxide, & tar

1. Nicotine – stimulant that increases heart rate & blood pressure

2. Carbon monoxide – decreases hemoglobin transport of oxygen & paralyze the cilia

3. Tar – contains compounds that have been shown to cause cancer

IX. Diseases Association with Tobacco A. Smoking can cause chronic bronchitis,

emphysema, & lung cancer as well as other heart conditions 1. Chronic Bronchitis – bronchi swell & are clogged

with mucus 2. Emphysema – loss elasticity of the lungs,

breathing is very difficult 3. Lung cancer – cancer cells can spread

throughout the body (160,00 0 ppl diagnosed each year)