Friday, March 18, 2011

Understanding the mechanism of breathing in human beings

Breathing is actually a mechanical procedure consisting of 2 stages:
1) Inspiration or inhalation or intake of fresh air into the lungs.
2) Expiration or exhalation or out push of foul and ingested air out from the lungs.
Breathing is actually associated with the existence of life itself. The lungs their selves can neither draw in air nor force it outside the body. Subsequently, human beings breath by means of suction pump procedure. The chest-wall as well as the diaphragm acts to be a substantial pump in relocating air within and outside the lungs. In humans throughout ordinary breathing, 500ml of air moves inside and outside the lungs with every breath.
 
Process of breathing:
We realize that breathing is made of 2 stages known as breathing in or inspiration and breathing out or expiration. Countless factors make up the actual mechanism of breathing, such as.
(1) Contraction and relaxation of the intercostal muscles in between the ribs create changes in the posture of ribs and sternum. Whenever those muscles contract, the ribs are raised and progress further up as well as in front and as these muscles relax, the ribs become down and transfer inward and backward. The bone of the chest additionally relocates to the inner side and to the back.
(2) Contraction and relaxation of the muscles of diaphragm produce variations in its shape. Once all these muscles contract, the diaphragm results in being dome shaped or convex
(3) The spongy and also flexible form of the lungs triggers expansion and contraction. Lungs broaden during the process inhalation and contract during exhalation.

Breathing in or inspiration:
In the humans, breathing in is not passive procedure. For the period of inspiration, the intercostal muscles among the rib cage of body contract and drag the ribs towards the front and outwards, pushing the sternum further aside from the spine. Because of the contraction of the intercostal muscles and of the diaphragm, the measurements of the chest as one is raised and the pleural cavities in it are as a result enhanced. Because the pleural cavities are not open hence their enhancement sometimes build partial vacuum in them. The lungs are actually stretchy and are in communication with the environment through the air passages (trachea, bronchi). When the force round the lungs is lessened, the air from outside flows within them via the trachea and bronchi. This way the lungs extend to stuff the pleural cavities and the stress inside and on the outside of the chest becomes equal. As a result the system of human breathing is a suction-pump mechanism. The lungs are made in such a way that they have the ability to expand and contract by motions of the ribs and diaphragm.

Breathing out or expiration:
Breathing out in humans is often a passive process. In intense muscular exercise however, the breathing out also gets energy consuming. During the process of expiration, the intercostal muscles of the ribs relax, the ribs move towards the lower aspect and towards the inner side. Hence the volume of the chest cavity is diminished from side to side. The sternum comes to its original spot, lowering the size of the chest cavity from the front to rear. Simultaneously muscles of the diaphragm relax therefore, the diaphragm takes on its dome shaped position. Thus together with the relaxation of the muscles of diaphragm and of the intercostal muscles, the specifications of the chest cavity all together is lessened. This lessening in the volume of the chest puts stress on the lungs. The lungs theirselves are extremely flexible and usually tend to come back to their original measurements. When the lungs are pushed, the waste air in them is expelled or expiration takes place.

Suggested Pages on the Web:
The following pages are related to this article and should be read to grasp the concept of mechanism of breathing completely.
Human Breathing Mechanism
Differentiating respiration and breathing
Respiration and breathing: The difference

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