Roles of the Respiratory System
Your respiratory system is made up of the tissues and organs that allow oxygen to enter
and carbon dioxide to leave your body. These structures include your nose, mouth, larynx,
pharynx, lungs, and diaphragm. These structures are shown inFigure19.1. The main
function of the respiratory system is to bring oxygen into the body and releases carbon
dioxide into the atmosphere.
Figure 19.1: The respiratory system; air moves in through the nose and mouth, and down
the trachea which is a long straight tube in the chest. ( 14 )