Respiratory System

Why This Matters for Nursing: Every breath matters. Understanding respiration helps you assess breathing, recognize respiratory distress, administer oxygen therapy, and manage conditions like asthma and COPD.

What You Need to Know

The respiratory system brings oxygen into the body and removes carbon dioxide. It works closely with the cardiovascular system for gas exchange.

Main Functions:

1. Gas exchange — O₂ in, CO₂ out
2. pH regulation — CO₂ levels affect blood acidity
3. Voice production — Air passes over vocal cords
4. Protection — Filters particles, pathogens

🧠 Memory Trick

Pathway of air: "Nose Picks Lunch Before Tasting Broccoli And Laughing"

Nose/Mouth → Pharynx → Larynx → Trachea → Bronchi → Bronchioles → Alveoli → Lungs (gas exchange)

Inhalation = In (O₂ enters) Exhalation = Exit (CO₂ leaves)

Anatomy: Upper Respiratory Tract