alveoli

When emphysema develops, the alveoli and lung tissue are destroyed. With this damage, the alveoli cannot support the bronchial tubes. The tubes collapse and cause an “obstruction” (a blockage), which traps air inside the lungs. Too much air trapped in the lungs can give some patients a barrel-chested appearance.

Emphysema can also contribute to narrowing of the airways. The combination of non-stretchy alveoli due to emphysema and narrowed airways due to both obstructive bronchiolitis and emphysema, prevents the lungs from emptying normally. This causes air to become trapped in the lungs.

The number of alveoli and alveolar sacs are what give your lungs a spongy consistency. Each alveolus (singular of alveoli) is about 0.2 millimeters in diameter (about 0.008 inches). Each alveolus is cup-shaped with very thin walls.

When you breathe in (inhale), air containing oxygen enters your windpipe, passes through the bronchi and eventually reaches the air sacs. These air sacs, called alveoli, are responsible for gas exchange. They look a bit like grapes at the end of the bronchial branches.

Air sacs are found as tiny sacs off the larger breathing tubes (tracheae) of insects, as extensions of the lungs in birds, and as end organs in the lungs of certain other vertebrates. They serve to increase respiratory efficiency by providing a large surface area for gas exchange. See also pulmonary alveolus.

Air enters the respiratory system through the nose and mouth and passes down the throat (pharynx) and through the voice box, or larynx. The entrance to the larynx is covered by a small flap of tissue (epiglottis) that automatically closes during swallowing, thus preventing food or drink from entering the airways.

As your lungs expand, air is sucked in through your nose or mouth. The air travels down your windpipe and into your lungs. After passing through your bronchial tubes, the air travels to the alveoli, or air sacs.

When you swallow, a flap called the epiglottis moves to block the entrance of food particles into your larynx and lungs. The muscles of the larynx pull upward to assist with this movement. They also tightly close during swallowing. That prevents food from entering your lungs.

Your lungs bring fresh oxygen into your body. They remove the carbon dioxide and other waste gases that your body’s doesn’t need. To breathe in (inhale), you use the muscles of your rib cage – especially the major muscle, the diaphragm. Your diaphragm tightens and flattens, allowing you to suck air into your lungs.

How does oxygen get into the bloodstream? Inside the air sacs, oxygen moves across paper-thin walls to tiny blood vessels called capillaries and into your blood. A protein called haemoglobin in the red blood cells then carries the oxygen around your body.

Upon inhalation, the diaphragm contracts and flattens and the chest cavity enlarges. This contraction creates a vacuum, which pulls air into the lungs. Upon exhalation, the diaphragm relaxes and returns to its domelike shape, and air is forced out of the lungs.

Pharynx, (Greek: “throat”) cone-shaped passageway leading from the oral and nasal cavities in the head to the esophagus and larynx. The pharynx chamber serves both respiratory and digestive functions. Thick fibres of muscle and connective tissue attach the pharynx to the base of the skull and surrounding structures.

When you inhale through your nose or mouth, air travels down the pharynx (back of the throat), passes through your larynx (voice box) and into your trachea (windpipe). Your trachea is divided into 2 air passages called bronchial tubes. One bronchial tube leads to the left lung, the other to the right lung.

Once in the lungs, oxygen is moved into the bloodstream and carried through your body. At each cell in your body, oxygen is exchanged for a waste gas called carbon dioxide. Your bloodstream then carries this waste gas back to the lungs where it is removed from the bloodstream and then exhaled.

At its bottom end, the trachea divides into left and right air tubes called bronchi (BRAHN-kye), which connect to the lungs. Within the lungs, the bronchi branch into smaller bronchi and even smaller tubes called bronchioles (BRAHN-kee-olz).

Some treatment options can provide immediate relief but are considered temporary solutions, while others can provide a better long-term solution. Short-term treatment options for the condition include laser surgery and widening the trachea. Laser surgery can remove scar tissue that is causing tracheal stenosis.

Did you know that your nose and mouth are connected? Your nose connects to the back of your mouth through two tubes. The air you breathe in goes from your mouth and nose down to your trachea and into your lungs.