The Lungs

The Lungs ~ The lungs are responsible for exchanging oxygen for carbon dioxide with the red blood cells. Once this oxygenated (oxygen-rich) blood travels back to the heart, it leaves the left ventricle and is sent to the body.

The Lungs Pharynx Alveoli Diaphragm

Parts of the Lungs Pharynx – Place where nose and mouth meet Larynx – voice box; pieces of cartilage that vibrate to make sound Trachea – “wind pipe”; leads into the lungs Alveoli – tiny air sacs where oxygen and carbon dioxide exchange with the red blood cells Diaphragm – muscle that controls breathing; when you inhale the diaphragm contracts, when you exhale the diaphragm relaxes Bronchial tubes – tubes attached to the trachea

Lungs & the Respiratory System

Above: Normal city dweller’s lung Above: Normal city dweller’s lung. Note black specks throughout - indicative of carbon deposits from pollution.

Smoker’s lung with cancer Smoker’s lung with cancer.  White area on top is the cancer; this is what killed the person.  The blackened area is just the deposit of tars that all smokers paint into their lungs with every puff they take.

To get a sense of how a lung is altered by smoking to cause emphysema, look at the pictures. This first one is a picture of an inflated non-smoker city dweller's lung.

Not only is the discoloration the issue, the lungs have literally been ripped out of shape making breathing extremely difficult and eventually impossible.  To get a sense of what it feels like to breathe with emphysema, take a deep breath and hold it.  Without letting out any air, take another deep breath.  Hold that one too.  One more time, take one more breath.  OK… let it all out.

DISEASED: HEALTHY: NORMAL:

http://health.howstuffworks.com/adam-200020.htm BREATHING!

http://www.smm.org/heart/lungs/vascular.htm It all goes together...

How can YOU keep your lungs healthy? Can you be healthy if you have asthma? What should you do if you have a terrible cough that just won’t stop? What’s “second hand smoke”? Should you be concerned about it? If you are a singer, what should you do to keep your singing voice in tip-top condition? What will excessive SCREAMING do to your vocal cords and voice box? What can you say to a smoker to convince him/her to STOP SMOKING? Why are cigarettes called “coffin nails”?

STAY HEALTHY! HAVE FUN! BE POSITIVE! EAT WELL! MAKE GOOD CHOICES! TAKE CARE OF YOURSELF!

THE END!