Oxygen - Food in the Air

The body independently performs the respiratory function, since the will does not participate in it: whether a person is awake or asleep, the need for breathing to supply oxygen to the cells of the body is constant. Oxygen enters our body through the respiratory organs. It is a gas that makes up 21% of the atmospheric air we breathe.

There is also a need to get rid of carbon dioxide, which remains in the cells as waste: exhaled air contains only 16% oxygen, the remaining 5% is carbon dioxide.

In addition to the organs represented by the respiratory tract and lungs, the chest and muscles that provide breathing are involved in the breathing process.

When the intercostal muscles in the rib cage contract, the ribs “go” up, expanding the rib cage. Between the chest and abdominal cavity is the main respiratory muscle - the diaphragm. It forms an arc directed towards the chest and is located under the lungs. When relaxed, it bends to the maximum, presses on the ribs and reduces the volume of the chest; when contracted, it partially loses its arched shape, and the free space of the lungs in the chest increases. When exhaling, the abdominal muscles - obliques and rectus - are also involved.