Respiratory system is made up of the organs in the body that help us to

breathe. Just remember that the word respiration is linked to breathing.

Circulatory system is responsible for distributing materials throughout the body.
Take note that circulation means transportation or movement in circles. Both
systems are essentially meant for each other. The common purpose could not
be attained without the other system.
The Human Breathing System Breathe in and out. Notice your chest and
belly moving and feel the soft air passing from the nose. Listen to the quiet
sounds of breathing in and out. Imagine the air moving from the nose into the
throat, through the air tubes, and into the airsacs. The parts of the respiratory
system that are in charge of supplying oxygen are the nose, nasal
passageways, windpipe, lungs, and diaphragm. In the nose and nasal passages,
the entering air is made warm, damp, and clean of unknown particles. Next, the
air moves down through the trachea, bronchi, bronchioles, and alveoli. Trachea
is the empty tube that serves as passageway of air into the lungs. Bronchi are
the two branching tubes that connect the trachea to the lungs. Bronchioles are
the hairlike tubes that connect to the alveoli. Alveoli are the airsacs that allow
gas exchange in the lungs.
KEY CONCEPTS
The air we breathe goes through the nose, nasal passages, and then through the trachea
or windpipe, which separates into two branches, called bronchial tubes or bronchi, one entering
each lung. The bronchi subdivide many times inside the lungs, analogous to the branching
pattern of grapes, finally becoming hairlike tubes called bronchioles. In the last part of the
terminal bronchioles are tiny bubble-like bunch of structures called alveoli or airsacs.

KEY CONCEPTS
When you breathe in, or inhale, the diaphragm muscle contracts. Inhaling moves the
diaphragm down and expands the chest cavity. Simultaneously, the ribs move up and increase
the size of the chest cavity. There is now more space and less air pressure inside the lungs. Air
pushes in from the outside where there is a higher air pressure. It pushes into the lungs where
there is a lower air pressure. When you breathe out, or exhale, the diaphragm muscle relaxes.
The diaphragm and ribs return to their original place. The chest cavity returns to its original size.
There is now less space and greater air pressure inside the lungs. It pushes the air outside
where there is lower air pressure.

KEY CONCEPTS
Air first enters your lungs and then into the left part of your heart. It is then driven by
your heart into the bloodstream, all the way through your body. The heart pumps blood, which
transports essential nutrients, oxygen, and other chemicals to every cell in your body. Once it
reaches the cells, oxygen processes the nutrients to release energy. Carbon dioxide is given off
during this process. The blood delivers carbon dioxide into the right portion of your heart, from
which it is pumped to the lungs. Carbon dioxide leaves your body through the lungs when you
exhale.

The circulatory system is the life support structure that nourishes your cells with nutrients
from the food you eat and oxygen from the air you breathe. It can be compared to a complex
arrangement of highways, avenues and lanes connecting all the cells together into a
neighborhood. Sequentially, the community of cells sustains the body to stay alive. Another
name for the circulatory system is the cardiovascular system. The circulatory system functions
with other body systems to deliver different materials in the body. It circulates vital elements
such as oxygen and nutrients. At the same time, it also transports wastes away from the body

The following are the three major parts of the circulatory system, with their roles:
1.Heart pumps the blood throughout the body
2.Blood vessel carries the blood throughout the body
Arteries - carry oxygenated blood away from the heart to the cells, tissues and organs of
the body
Veins - carry deoxygenated blood to the heart
Capillaries - the smallest blood vessels in the body, connecting the smallest
arteries to the smallest veins - the actual site where gases and nutrients are exchanged
3.Blood carries the materials throughout the body

CIRCULATION TYPE OF CIRCULATION

1. Pulmonary Circulation Movement of blood from the heart, to the lungs, and back to the
heart
2. Coronary Circulation Movement of blood through the tissues of the heart

3. Systemic Circulation Movement of blood from the heart to the rest of the body,
excluding the lungs

The Human Heart

Do you know how big your heart is? Take a look at your fist. The heart is a hollow muscle,
as seen in Figure 7, which is just as big as your fist. It has four chambers with specific tasks to
do: two ventricles and two atria. The atria are the receiving chambers of the heart, accepting
blood from the body (right atrium) and from the lungs (left atrium). The ventricles are the
pumping chambers, moving blood to the lungs (right ventricle) and into the body (left ventricle).

The heart has two pumps. Each pump has two chambers, the upper and lower chambers.
The upper chamber is the atrium that receives blood coming in from the veins. The lower
chamber is the ventricle that forces the blood out into the arteries. There is a valve between
each atrium and ventricle to prevent the blood from flowing backwards. The valves are like oneway doors that keep the blood moving in only one direction. Valves control movement of blood
into the heart chambers and out to the aorta and the pulmonary artery.
KEY CONCEPTS
The heart is a hollow muscular organ, about the size of your fist, which is located in the
center of your chest between the lungs. It is a double pump that pumps on the left and right
sides. Every side is divided into two chambers, the atrium and the ventricle, each of which has
left and right portion, totaling to four chambers altogether. The top chamber is the atrium
(plural: atria). The bottom chamber is called the ventricle. The valve acts as a one-way door,
allowing blood to flow either forward into the next chamber, or out of the heart.

KEY CONCEPTS
Each time your heart beats, it delivers oxygen-rich blood to your body, which allows it to
function properly. Your heart rate or pulse is the number of times your heart beats in a minute
(BPM or beats per minute). Shorter time intervals may be used in taking the pulse as long as it
comes to 60 seconds upon multiplying with a factor. When you are resting, your heart rate slows
down, as your body does not need as much blood as it does when you exercise.

KEY CONCEPTS
Cigarette smoking harms nearly every organ in the body, causing many illnesses and
affecting health in general. The negative effects of smoking on circulatory system include
increased heart rate and blood pressure, coronary heart disease, arteriosclerosis, and vascular

diseases. The respiratory diseases caused by smoking are chronic bronchitis, emphysema,
asthma, cough, colds, tuberculosis, lung cancer, and other respiratory infections.

KEY CONCEPTS
The best way to prevent diseases in the respiratory and circulatory systems is to have a
healthy lifestyle, which includes balanced diet, regular exercise, adequate rest, proper hygiene,
and avoiding vices such as cigarette smoking and alcohol drinking. Circulatory and respiratory
disease can easily be detected with regular health check-up and physical screening.

Glossary of Terms
Arteriosclerosis a condition in which there is thickening and hardening of the arteries
Atrium the upper chamber of the heart that receives blood coming in from the veins
Chamber the empty space of the heart where blood is contained
Chest Cavity a hollow space in the body enclosed by the ribs between the diaphragm
and the neck and containing the lungs and heart
Chronic Disease any illness that is prolonged in duration, does not often resolve
suddenly, and is rarely treated completely
Coronary relating to, or affecting the heart
Diaphragm a large flat muscle that separates the lungs from the stomach area and that
is used in breathing
Emphysema a type of pulmonary disease involving damage to the airsacs
Pulmonary relating to, or affecting the lungs
Pulse the number of times the heart beats per minute
Vascular relating to the blood vessels, which includes the arteries, capillaries, and
veins
Ventricle the lower chamber of the heart that squeezes blood out into the arteries