Respiratory System, Research Paper Example

Respiratory system performs a vital function of providing the organism with oxygen and releasing carbon dioxide. It works in close cooperation with other systems of the body. First and foremost, it interacts with the circulatory system. When a person inhales, oxygen, that gets into the lungs, is there absorbed by a dense net of vessels to be transported to every organ of the body via blood. The red blood cells contain haemoglobin molecules that pick up oxygen and deliver it to muscle tissues.

The respiratory system is controlled by the nervous system. The nervous system regulates the breathing rate depending on the concentration of carbon dioxide in the air. As the amount of carbon dioxide builds up, the chemoreceptor cells located in the wall of the carotid artery and aorta transmits impulses to the respiratory center of the brain. The lungs, or, to be more precise, the stretch receptors, also send nerve impulses to the respiratory center as the lungs inflate. In response, the respiratory center in the brain sends impulses to the diaphragm and intercostal muscles to make them contract at a certain pace thus controlling the breathing rate.

Most organs of the respiratory system are covered with mucous membranes containing mucosal lymphoid tissue. This tissue is produced by the lymphatic system and is closely related to the immune system because it generates immune cells – lymphocytes. The lymphocytes are types of white blood cells responsible for immune responses. While one type of lymphocytes, B cells, produce antibodies to attack bacteria and toxins, the other type, T cells, attack body cells that have been infected or have become cancerous. Since respiration is an open process which involves close interaction with the surrounding environment, it is imperative that the process be protected from the dangerous effects of unfavorable outward conditions, and the immune system plays an essential role in this protection.

References

Farabee, M.J. (2001) Respiratory System. Retrieved May 23, 2009, from http://www.emc.maricopa.edu/faculty/farabee/BIOBK/BioBookRespsys.html#Diseases%20of%20the%20Respiratory%20Sys

Johnson, D.R. Introductory Anatomy: Respiratory System. Retrieved May 23, 2009, from http://www.leeds.ac.uk/chb/lectures/anatomy7.html

Science Aid. Respiratory System. Retrieved May 23, 2009, from http://www.scienceaid.co.uk/biology/humans/lungs.html