Understanding How We Breathe
Breathing is the process of moving air in and out of our lungs. It happens because of changes in pressure inside our chest. This process is influenced by physical rules, especially Boyle's Law. This law tells us that if the temperature is the same, pressure and volume of gas are linked. When one goes up, the other goes down.
Inhaling (Taking a Breath In):
When we inhale, a muscle called the diaphragm contracts and moves down.
At the same time, muscles between our ribs, called intercostal muscles, lift the ribs up.
This makes the chest cavity bigger, which means there is more room inside.
Because of this extra room, the pressure inside the chest goes down.
When the pressure inside is lower than the pressure outside (in the atmosphere), air rushes in.
This can be shown simply as:
Pressure inside < Pressure outside
Exhaling (Breathing Out):
Exhaling is usually an easy process when we are resting. When the diaphragm and intercostal muscles relax, the chest cavity gets smaller.
This makes the pressure inside the chest higher than the pressure outside.
Because the pressure inside is now greater, air is pushed out of the lungs.
This can be shown like this:
Pressure inside > Pressure outside
Breathing works because of changes in pressure inside our chest. When muscles contract and relax, they create a difference in pressure that allows air to move in and out of our lungs. This regular cycle of inhaling and exhaling is very important for keeping our bodies supplied with the oxygen we need to stay healthy.
Understanding How We Breathe
Breathing is the process of moving air in and out of our lungs. It happens because of changes in pressure inside our chest. This process is influenced by physical rules, especially Boyle's Law. This law tells us that if the temperature is the same, pressure and volume of gas are linked. When one goes up, the other goes down.
Inhaling (Taking a Breath In):
When we inhale, a muscle called the diaphragm contracts and moves down.
At the same time, muscles between our ribs, called intercostal muscles, lift the ribs up.
This makes the chest cavity bigger, which means there is more room inside.
Because of this extra room, the pressure inside the chest goes down.
When the pressure inside is lower than the pressure outside (in the atmosphere), air rushes in.
This can be shown simply as:
Pressure inside < Pressure outside
Exhaling (Breathing Out):
Exhaling is usually an easy process when we are resting. When the diaphragm and intercostal muscles relax, the chest cavity gets smaller.
This makes the pressure inside the chest higher than the pressure outside.
Because the pressure inside is now greater, air is pushed out of the lungs.
This can be shown like this:
Pressure inside > Pressure outside
Breathing works because of changes in pressure inside our chest. When muscles contract and relax, they create a difference in pressure that allows air to move in and out of our lungs. This regular cycle of inhaling and exhaling is very important for keeping our bodies supplied with the oxygen we need to stay healthy.