The Respiratory Apparatus

Publisher Summary This chapter describes the respiratory system of the body. The respiratory system consists of a reciprocating elastic bellows pump driven by muscles of the chest wall. These muscles pull air in, and the air is then expelled as the elastic recoil returns the system to its resting volume. In the lungs, the air is brought into contact with the blood being pumped through the lungs by a pulsatile pump, which is the right ventricle. Blood leaving the lungs is pumped to the body by another pulsatile pump, which is the left ventricle. The air exchange system is a form of the bellows pump. The outer ridged wall of this pump, the chest cage, has the respiratory muscles attached to it. The lung is closely applied to the inner surface of the chest cage. To move this bellows, a force must be applied by the muscles. The chapter illustrates the volume–pressure analog of the respiratory system and discusses the coordination of ventilation and perfusion. It also describes diffusion of gases and the concept of the artificial lung.