The respiratory system is a set of organs that provide external respiration in the body and several critical non-respiratory functions. Systema respiratorium serves to deliver inhaled air through the lungs oxygen into the blood and remove carbon dioxide. In addition to the lungs, namely: the nasal cavity and pharynx, then the larynx, trachea, and bronchi (Yamaguchi, 2020). A feature of these paths is the presence of stubborn tissues in their walls, due to which the walls do not collapse and the air, moves freely during inhalation and exhalation. The loss of any processes in the system leads to respiratory disorders and creates a danger to human life. That is why the clinical application of anatomical and physiological knowledge of the respiratory system increases human safety.
Learning Objectives: form an idea of the respiratory organs (location in the body, meaning), to give a representation of the structure of the respiratory system.
By the end of this assignment, I will be able to:
Knowledge: determine the characteristics of the respiratory system.
Understanding: identify all organs related to the respiratory system, function, and place in the system.
Application: describe the relationship between the organs of the respiratory system and the rules for their safe operation.
Analysis: comparison of the respiratory organs, their functioning, and relationship.
Synthesis: a memo on respiratory hygiene and the importance of clean air for human health.
Assessment: explain the place and significance of the organs of the respiratory system.
Our lungs are incredibly complex: this is a whole architecture, a tracheobronchial tree, which ends in air sacs, alveoli. They provide gas exchange between the environment and the body. If expand all the surfaces of the alveoli on a plane, then they will take from 80 to 120 square meters – and this entire area is arranged in our chest (Rudd, 2019). Gas diffusion constantly occurs inside the alveoli: due to the difference in gradients, oxygen molecules move in one direction, where blood circulates, and carbon dioxide molecules move to the other; this is how gas exchange takes place.
With pneumonia of a bacterial nature, the infection descends from top to bottom – first tracheitis, then bronchitis, then pneumonia. When viral, the deep areas of the lungs are immediately affected – alveoli with a surfactant lining – this is an active substance that allows you to keep the alveoli in a straightened state. The virus changes the properties of this structure, and blood clots and destructive changes appear in the surrounding capillaries. Then, a bacterial infection can join the viral infection – staphylococci, streptococci, pneumococci, as well as fungal flora. Coronavirus pneumonia is no less complex than other viral ones – for example, influenza, but it turned out to be more insidious and severe (Gattinoni et al., 2020). These combined types of pneumonia are really complicated to treat.
The respiratory system is a complex of formations, including central (regulatory) and peripheral (perceiving) nervous components and working apparatus, functionally united into a single system, the final effect of which is maintaining the relative constancy of O2, CO2, and pH of blood and body tissues (Yamaguchi, 2020). The respiratory system plays the most important role in human life. When breathing stops, the person dies. In the absence of air, death occurs in 4–5 minutes (Marini & Gattinoni, 2020). The relevance of this topic is justified by the fact that the human respiratory system in different age periods has quantitative and qualitative differences.
In the modern world, everyone should pay attention to their health, particularly the respiratory system. Respiratory pathology occupies one of the first places in the overall morbidity and among the causes of death (Sanchez-Ramirez & Mackey, 2020). Timely diagnosis, effective treatment, and prevention of respiratory diseases are impossible without knowledge of the anatomical and physiological characteristics of the respiratory system and a thorough examination. In addition, smoking remains the leading cause of respiratory system damage (Jayes et al., 2016). The dangers of smoking have been discussed for more than a century, so this topic is as relevant as before. Knowledge of the structure and function of the respiratory system and respiratory diseases is a very important topic for training.
During independent research, I read some chapters of textbooks, as well as articles on the topic. To better understand the functioning of the respiratory system, I needed to study the structure of the airways. Thus, I have a superficial understanding of the respiratory system, which I would like to deepen in a further course. As a basis for my independent study, I studied the content of sites such as the website of the World Health Organization and the website of the National Health Service.
I also read several articles that reveal the influence of external factors, for example, smoking or COVID-19, on our body, first of all, on our respiratory. In the future, I need to expand my knowledge of respiratory organs. Also critical is the study of diseases of the respiratory system and their treatment. In addition, the prevention of respiratory diseases is no less important in the study, especially in current conditions.
The methodology that I am going to use in my research involves scientific sampling. In the process of using this method, I will select scientific literature related to the study of the respiratory system. The scientific literature at this stage includes textbooks on anatomy, scientific works of authoritative authors. The following method in my research is the analysis of the literature I have selected. Based on this method, conclusions are drawn on how well certain aspects have been studied, for which there is a considerable stock of scientific works, and which ones are still under study. When using this method, collective monographs are considered, articles, essays, notes, and others.
An empirical literature search is used to obtain a satisfactory result. Literature sources are articles posted on the website of the World Health Organization. I will also collect and analyze data from the website of the National Health Service, which provides information on human anatomy, diseases, treatment, and more. The literature search method was supported by the description method, which implies the obligatory fixation of the appearance of the object under study or its features. This method aims to a deeper understanding of the organs of the respiratory system, their structure, functioning, and interaction. As a result of consistent work on all of the above research methodologies, I will receive a complete, structured knowledge about the respiratory system.
Thus, I will end up with a research paper on the respiratory system. As a method of presentation, I will write a major research essay. This paper will reflect the purpose and Learning Objectives of my research. The following will describe the methods of collecting and analyzing information that is necessary for the process of writing a scientific work. An essential part of my essay is the rationale for the relevance of my chosen topic.
References
Gattinoni, L., Chiumello, D., Caironi, P., Busana, M., Romitti, F., Brazzi, L., & Camporota, L. (2020). Covid-19 pneumonia: Different respiratory treatments for different phenotypes? Intensive Care Medicine, 46(6), 1099–1102. Web.
Jayes, L., Haslam, P. L., & Gratziou, C. G. (2016). Smokehaz. Chest, 150(1), 164–179. Web.
Marini, J. J., & Gattinoni, L. (2020). Management of COVID-19 respiratory distress. JAMA, 323(22), 2329. Web.
Rudd, M. (2019). Respiratory infections: Diagnosis and treatment. FOSTER ACADEMICS.
Sanchez-Ramirez, D. C., & Mackey, D. (2020). Underlying respiratory diseases, specifically COPD, and smoking are associated with severe COVID-19 outcomes: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Respiratory Medicine, 171, 106096.Web.
Yamaguchi, K. (2020). Structure-function relationships in various respiratory systems: Connecting to the next generation. Springer.