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
Why can't you suffocate by holding your breath?
The human body has a number of mechanisms that prevent you from holding your breath until you suffocate.
What are the systems of the body? Fast facts about the human body and how it works
Reference Learn all about the human body's many systems and some of its individual organs, both vital and vestigial.
4D Implant Saves Babies with Breathing Problems
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
The newfound cells help to maintain a healthy respiratory system.
Respiratory system: Facts, function and diseases
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
This is not a good thing for lung function.
Can You Really Get Sick from Smelling Dirty Socks?
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
A man in California surprised his doctors when he coughed up an unusual looking blood clot: It was in the shape of his lung.
