What is the respiratory system?

What is the respiratory system?

• A. Set of organs responsible for breathing or respiration and the exchange of oxygen and carbon dioxide
• B. Digestive system
• C. Nervous system
• D. Endocrine system

Answer: (A)

Breathing and gas exchange define what the respiratory system does. It includes the airways (nose or mouth, throat, trachea, and the bronchi), the lungs with tiny air sacs called alveoli, and the muscles that drive breathing such as the diaphragm. The main job is to bring oxygen into the body and remove carbon dioxide. Oxygen from the air diffuses into the blood in the alveoli, while carbon dioxide diffuses from the blood into the alveoli to be exhaled. This system works with the circulatory system to deliver oxygen to tissues and remove waste gas. Other systems have different roles—digestion processes nutrients, the nervous system controls body activities, and the endocrine system uses hormones for regulation—so they don’t define the respiratory system.

Breathing and gas exchange define what the respiratory system does. It includes the airways (nose or mouth, throat, trachea, and the bronchi), the lungs with tiny air sacs called alveoli, and the muscles that drive breathing such as the diaphragm. The main job is to bring oxygen into the body and remove carbon dioxide. Oxygen from the air diffuses into the blood in the alveoli, while carbon dioxide diffuses from the blood into the alveoli to be exhaled. This system works with the circulatory system to deliver oxygen to tissues and remove waste gas. Other systems have different roles—digestion processes nutrients, the nervous system controls body activities, and the endocrine system uses hormones for regulation—so they don’t define the respiratory system.