Respiratory System

THE RESPIRATORY SYSTEM

By supplying oxygen, our respiratory system enables us to produce energy. If this system's efficiency begins to diminish, energy stored in the body is relased at a slower rate.

The lungs are the center of the respiratory system and the nose, throat and trachea (windpipe) comprise the respiratory tract. Breathing is usually automatic, and is regulated in the medulla oblangata of the brain.

The lungs are paired organs which resemble an inverted trree. The bronchi, which are airways to each lung, divide into smaller and smaller airways called bronchioles. Each bronchiole ends in a cluster of tiny air sacs called alveoli. It is estimated that there are more than 300 millian alveoli in the lungs. This is where the vital gas exchange takes place.

THE RESPIRATORY PROCESS:

Respriation isn't simply breathing. The term also describes all the processes associated with the release of energy in the body. The blood carries food and oxygen to the cells so they can produce energy for their needs. The simplified process is: food+oxygen=cargon dioxide + water + energy.

Oxygen is neded in the cells to break cargohydrates and fats into energy. Carbon dioxide is a byproduct of metabolism in the cells, but while it is a waste product in man and animals, carbon dioxide is necessary for plant respiration. Plants release oxygen, their waste product, and the cycle of mutual benefits between plant and man is repeated continuously.

Gas exchange occurs in the lungs. The right side of the heart pumps blood with a high concentration of carbon dioxide into the lungs. The carbon dioxide is replaced with oxygen. The blood changes from a dark red to a a bright red color, indicating hemoglobin has picked up the oxygen. The oxygen-enriched blood is pumped through the left side of the heart and then circulated throughout the body.

The carbon dioxide is then exhaled. The respiratory system is sensitive to the amount of carbon dioxide in the blood. If this amount rises, the breathing response will increase so that more oxygen is available for energy metabolism.

Only 2-3 percent of the total energy expended by the body is required for normal, quiet respiration. But during heavy exercise that need increases as much as 25 times. In normal breathing, 8,000 milliliters or 15 pints of air are circulated through the lungs each minute.

FACTORS IN LUNG HEALTH:

We all begin life with a pair of bright healthy pink lungs. But an adult with a smoking habit or one who lives in a city has dull, pink-gray lungs with black patches.

The respiratory tract is especially vulnerable to particles floating in the air. Professor Julius Comroe of the University of California estimated that city dwellers ingest 20 trillion particles of foreign matter a day.

The respiratory system has several ways of dealing with these particles. For example, the cough and the sneeze reflexes keep the passageways of the lungs clear of foreign matter. Cilia, the hairs in the nose, trap irritants, contaminants, bacteria, viruses, fungi, vehicle exhaust and other materials. But not all particles are trapped here.

Forturately, there are also cells in the respiratory tract specially designed to engulf and rid the body of foreign particles. These particles irritate the tissues, causing them to swell and produce extra mucus. The respiratory tract lining feels uncomfortable and sore. Swelling and mucus eventually obstruct the passages. If particles are trapped further down in the tract, bronchitis and asthma may result.

Since oxygen is so vital to the energy needs of the body, it is essential that we maintain healthy lungs by breathing unpolluted air as much as possible and by supplying the body in general with good nutrition.

THE RESPIRATORY SYSTEM

ALJ CAPSULES (IMPROVED) (100)

ALJ LIQUID HERB (2 FL.OZ)

BREATHE E-Z, CHINESE TCM CONCENTRATE (30)

FENUGREEK & THYME (100)

FOUR

HISTABLOCK (90)

LOBELIA (100)

LUNG SUPPORT, CHINESE (100)

SINUS SUPPORT EF (100)