The average number of times a normal human breathes is about 15 to 25 times per minute. The breathing rate of a person goes up after exercising. Breathing is a regular process and many of us take lungs for granted. Lungs play a very vital role in the respiratory system.
Functioning of the Lungs:
Lungs are complex organs of the human body. The main function of the lungs is to remove carbon dioxide that is harmful and not required for the body. They instead exchange it with oxygen that is required for the body.
Lungs work hard to keep the body’s cells supplied with the oxygen and help them to get rid of the carbon dioxide. Sometimes health conditions can make breathing harder and causes the lungs to fail. A person cannot hold the breath for long time while coughing or when one get hiccups.
How Lungs help in Breathing:
Lungs are located within the chest cavity that is inside the rib cage. Lungs are made up of a spongy tissue which is elastic in nature that can stretch constricts as you breathe. Trachea and the bronchi are the airways that bring the air into the lungs.
These airways are made up of smooth muscle and a cartilage which allows the lungs to expand and constrict. The airways present in the lungs brings oxygen-enriched air and gets rid of the waste. They are of great use in regulating the concentration of hydrogen in the blood.
Lungs work in this manner, when a person inhales the diaphragm and the intercostal muscles which are present between the ribs contract. They help the lungs to expand constrict the chest cavity. This expansion in the lungs, lowers the pressure in the chest. The air then flows through the airways and inflates the lungs.
When a person exhales, the diaphragm and the intercostal muscles relax making the chest cavity small. Air from the lungs flows out of the airways and this cycle repeats each time we breathe.
How to keep Lungs Healthy:
Lungs are the most important organs of our body and they need to be healthy in order to maintain a good respiratory tract. Smoking is not good for your lungs because cigarette smoke damages the cilia that is present in the trachea. They can no longer move to filter the dirt out of the lungs.
The chemicals can cause damage to the walls of the alveoli as they are very delicate and may tend to break making it harder to breathe. A person can keep his lungs healthy by exercising daily. Keeping yourself engaged in physical activities will make your lungs breathe deeply and more of the oxygen is distributed through out the body. Lungs become strong and better and will help you to breathe well.
