Some People Really Enjoy Blowing Air Out of Their Lungs - I'm Not a Fan Myself

How does the respiratory system work?

The exchange of gases that occurs when we exhale and inhale (carbon dioxide out, oxygen in) is how blood cells are able to acquire oxygen and then to pass it on throughout the body. The system in which this takes place is known as the Respiratory System.

When oxygen is inhaled through the mouth and/or nose the oxygen begins its initial journey through the respiratory system. The diaphragm is a muscle near the bottom of the chest cavity that allows inhalation and exhalation to occur, it separates the thoracic and abdominal cavities. When air is inhaled the diaphragm contracts and lets more air in while in exhalation the diaphragm expands and air is let out. First stop for the oxygen is the larynx, where speech is produced followed by the the trachea from which oxygen enters the chest cavity. The trachea divides into two tubes called the bronchi (singular bronchus), the bronchi split into even smaller tubes on the way to the lungs, aka the bronchial tubes. Bronchial tubes directly go into the lungs and are yet again split into even smaller tubes which conjoin with tiny little air sacks known as alveoli.

This is where the respiratory and circulatory systems are bridged because the alveoli (filled with oxygen that was inhaled) are attached to the capillaries. The capillaries are extremely minute blood vessels next to the alveoli where oxygen diffuses out of the alveoli into the blood cells in the capillaries. The carbon dioxide in the bloodstream goes the other way. Carbon dioxide diffuses from the bloodstream into the alveoli and through the lungs and come out while exhaling. 

Without the respiratory system we wouldn't be able to live because breathing is of course an essential life function.

Major organs 

Larynx: Without the larynx talking would be impossible. As well, the larynx aids swallowing and breathing. When air is inhaled exhaled it goes past the larynx which holds the vocal chords. The larynx is called the voice box because that's what it is, a box of cartilages and tissue holding the vocal chords.When the air goes past the vocal chords during exhalation they receive sufficient air in order to tighten or loosen in order to change pitch, volume and tone. A majority of the larynx is made up of cartilages and muscles that are held together by bendable, elastic like tissue. The larynx is a component of the corridor of air to and from the lungs.

Trachea: Also known as the windpipe, the trachea trails down the front, centre of the neck and at the top edge of the sternum (breast bone)splits into two branches that feed into the lung cavities. Composed of fibrous, elastic tissues,smooth tissue and approximately twenty cartilage rings the trachea is quite flexible to allow quite extreme neck movement while allowing air through to the lungs. The trachea is similar to a vacuum hose as it is extremely flexible but still sturdy and does not collapse on itself. About twenty rings of cartilage keep the trachea open in order to ensure breathing is always happening even during extreme neck movements.

Lungs: Spongy, similar to hot air balloons these organs aka lungs make all breathing and living possible. When air is inhaled it goes into the lungs through the trachea to the bronchi and then into the lungs themselves. Within the lungs the bronchi eventually split into even smaller branches of bronchioles. Bronchioles are wires that connect alveoli (microscopic air sacks) to each other throughout the lungs where oxygen is diffused into the blood stream through capillaries.

Diaphragm: Controlling the inhalation and exhalation of air is the dome shaped sheet of muscle that is the diaphragm. When the body requires air (inhalation)the diaphragm caves in allowing more space for air to be transferred into the lungs. When exhalation occurs the diaphragm curves upwards in order to decrease the amount of space in the chest cavity and therefore air leaves the lungs.