Respiratory system

For the biochemical process, see respiration

The respiratory system, also called the gas exchange system, is the body getting rid of carbon dioxide and taking in oxygen. Carbon dioxide, a waste product, goes out of the body. Oxygen, which the body needs, comes in. In humans the lungs are the main organ to do this. In other words, the way oxidation of organic compounds happens in cells and energy is released is called the respiratory system.^[1]

The first step is breathing in air, or inhaling (inspiration). Inhalation means bringing air rich in oxygen into the body. Exhalation means giving out air rich in carbon dioxide from the body. The second step is gas exchange in the lungs where oxygen is diffused into the blood and the carbon dioxide diffuses out of the blood. The third step is cellular respiration, which makes the chemical energy that the cells in the body need, and carbon dioxide. Finally, the carbon dioxide from cellular respiration is breathed out of the body from the lungs.

1. ↑ "Respiratory System Human | Parts And Functions- Crack Your Target". 15 June 2020. Archived from the original on 2021-06-24. Retrieved 2021-06-22.