The Respiratory System

Oxygen goes in, carbon dioxide goes out. Sounds simple enough, but your respiratory system — composed of your lungs, trachea, sinuses, and sundry microscopic helpers — works a grueling 24/7 job just to keep your blood oxygenated, and your body alive. Learn all about the air you breath (and the respiratory organs that make it possible) here.
Latest about The Respiratory System

4D Implant Saves Babies with Breathing Problems
By Charles Q. Choi last updated
A new "4D" medical device has saved the lives of three baby boys with life-threatening breathing problems, researchers say.

New part of the body found hiding in the lungs
By Harry Baker published
The newfound cells help to maintain a healthy respiratory system.

The Human Body: Anatomy, facts & functions
By Rachael Rettner, Scott Dutfield published
Reference Many complex processes go on inside the human body every day.

Respiratory system: Facts, function and diseases
By Kim Ann Zimmermann published
The respiratory system is responsible for taking in oxygen and expelling carbon dioxide. The main organs are the lungs, which work in concert with the cardiovascular system.

After a Bout of Flu, Mice Grow Taste Bud Cells in Their Lungs
By Stephanie Pappas published
This is not a good thing for lung function.

Can You Really Get Sick from Smelling Dirty Socks?
By Yasemin Saplakoglu published
A man in China had a habit of walking home from work every day, taking off his socks and… taking a great big whiff of them, according to news reports.

Man Coughs Up a Giant Blood Clot in the Shape of His Lung
By Rachael Rettner published
A man in California surprised his doctors when he coughed up an unusual looking blood clot: It was in the shape of his lung.

Exquisitely Preserved Lungs from 120 Million Years Ago Stun Scientists Studying Early Bird
By Laura Geggel published
Ancient organs rarely fossilize, so paleontologists were stunned to find the incredibly well-preserved remains of a lung that belonged to bird from the dinosaur age, a new study finds.
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