What makes lungs efficient

Living systems sometimes store gases, such as oxygen, to help maximize respiration or for a variety of other purposes.

Gases are often difficult to store because they dissipate and can easily escape. Therefore, most gas storage in living systems can only be temporary. Some examples are fish swim bladders used to control buoyancy, and respiratory sacs in birds that help them maximize access to oxygenated air.

Gases of particular importance to living systems are oxygen, carbon dioxide, and nitrogen. However, gases are difficult to contain because they disperse easily. The most familiar forms of discharging gases are through respiration when many living systems release carbon dioxide, and when plants release oxygen as the end product of plant photosynthesis. Because gases cannot be effectively moved through pushing, a different kind of force is needed to expel them. Creating that force requires energy, even at the cellular level, so living systems must have efficient strategies worth the energy investment or use an external force.

This typically entails strategies that build up pressure or use other forces to propel gases. Resources are limited and the simple act of retaining them requires resources, especially energy. Living systems must constantly balance the value of resources obtained with the costs of resources expended; failure to do so can result in death or prevent reproduction. Living systems therefore optimize, rather than maximize, resource use.

Optimizing shape ultimately optimizes materials and energy. Birds are evolutionary engineering marvels. They are descended from dinosaurs, but are far from our idea of heavy, scaly reptiles. Of the specific adaptions that set them apart, most notable is flight—although some mammals can fly, birds take the prize for abundance in the skies. Many birds have hollow, lightweight skeletons and specially-designed wings to help them stay aloft.

They also have feathers made of keratin that help them stay warm, attract mates, and improve navigation and aerodynamics in flight. In contrast to their dinosaur ancestors, they lack true teeth and have replaced them with specialized beaks and bills. The avian respiratory system is physically distinct from the mammalian respiratory system, both in structure and in its ability to exchange gas as efficiently as possible. A breath of oxygen-rich inhaled air remains in the respiratory system for two complete inhalation and exhalation cycles before it is fully spent used and exhaled out the body.

The diaphragm is the chief muscle of breathing. This dome-shaped wall of muscle does the most of the breathing work by expanding and contracting the chest to draw air in and out of your lungs. If your lungs are healthy, that's about 80 percent. When lungs need to be more efficient e. Learn more about how to keep your lungs healthy. This November your donation goes even further to improve lung health and defeat lung cancer. Double Your Gift.

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Why are lungs important? These include: Bringing air to the proper body temperature and moisturizing it to the right humidity level. Protecting your body from harmful substances.

This is done by coughing, sneezing, filtering or swallowing them. Supporting your sense of smell. Sinuses help regulate the temperature and humidity of inhaled air.

The NOSE is the preferred entrance for outside air into the respiratory system. The hairs lining the nose's wall are part of the air-cleaning system. Air also enters through the MOUTH , especially for those who have a mouth-breathing habit, whose nasal passages may be temporarily blocked by a cold, or during heavy exercise. These, in turn, split further into bronchioles. Each lobe is like a balloon filled with sponge-like tissue. Air moves in and out through one opening—a branch of the bronchial tube.

The PLEURA are the two membranes, actually, one continuous one folded on itself, that surround each lobe of the lungs and separate your lungs from your chest wall. This motion carries MUCUS sticky phlegm or liquid upward and out into your throat, where it is either coughed up or swallowed.