Breathing:

Breathing or ventilation is the choreographed movements of inspiration (breathing in) and expiration (breathing out) requiring the contraction of various respiratory muscles. There are two factors that are involved in ventilation:

• The number of breaths taken per minute. The average breaths taken per minute are between 6 and 10
• The amount of air we take in - TIDAL VOLUME (VT): on average approx. 0.5 L/breath at rest to 3-4 L/breath during exercise. To see the maximum amount of air we can breathe in and out we test vital capacity. Vital capacity is the greatest volume of air that can be expelled from the lungs after taking the deepest possible breath is something the reflects the overall ability of the lungs to expand and contract which aid in the overall mechanics of breathing.

The Conductive Zone:

The conductive zone includes all structures responsible for bringing air in from the external environment, filtering it, moistening it, and warming it to body temperature to protect the sensitive structures of the respiratory zone.

The Respiratory Zone:

The Respiratory zone is made up of the respiratory bronchioles, which are mostly made up of the alveolar sacks. These sacks are the pivotal point of gas exchange where O2 diffuses from the air in the sacks to the blood and CO2 transports across the membrane from the blood to the air you exhale.