MECHANICS OF BREATHING IN 3rd OF ESO

First the students learned about the breathing mechanics in their Natural Science class, then they watched two lessons in English on-line about it and, after having analyzed how it functions and mastered the necessary terminology, they answered some questions as a short synthesis of all they have learned.  

Below you can find two examples of our students’ answers:

 MARC MONTORE

BREATHING MECHANISM

BREATHING MECHANISM COMPREHENSION QUESTIONS:

Watch the video again: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rPKyoD4Jkoc

Answer the following questions:

1)    In what two ways does the chest expand outwards?

The two ways does the chest expand outwards are:

-       “Up” and “out”

You do this way at the same time, when you inspire.

-       “Down” and “in”

You do this way at the same time too, when you expire.

2)    What are parietal pleura and what is their function?

The parietal pleura are tissue (around the chest and the ribs), that their function is that the lung doesn’t touch directly the chest, and that the lung doesn’t collapse, it fights the negative pressure. It’s a very thin tissue.

3)    What are the alveoli and why is there always tension between their surfaces?

The alveoli are cavities situated at the end of the bronchia, inside the lungs. The alveoli are really small and the walls of these alveoli are very thin.

The alveoli are always tensioned because they are coated with water and its molecules are attracted among each other.

4)    What is a surfactant and what is its function?

The surfactant is a phospholipid molecule with a little protein, situated in the alveolus. It has a hydrophilic and a hydrophobic end.

The surfactant does chemical reactions that repels the attraction of the water molecules, and prevents that the alveoli doesn’t collapse.

5)    What is collagen and what is its function?

The collagen is a protein, in the connective tissue, that prevents the collapse of the lung. It’s very similar to the surfactant, but it’s not exactly the same. The collagen does his function in the lung, and the surfactant does the same but in the alveoli.

6)    What prevents healthy lungs from collapsing?

The collagen prevents the healthy lungs from collapsing, using the pressure of the lung. The parietal pleura help too.

Watch the video about the chemical processes created when breathing and write its summary: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fLKOBQ6cZHA

The video explains the pulmonary respiration. When we inspire, the alveoli take the air (78% Nitrogen, 21% Oxygen, 0.1% CO2), and the red blood cells (NO nucleus), attract the O2 to the cell (with a chemical reaction), using the hemoglobin (proteins that are in the red cell). This process, we do it in the alveoli and the arteries and veins.

The blood does a long route: first of all, the blood travels inside the pulmonary artery. The blood gives the CO2 and takes the O2. Then, the blood travels another time inside the pulmonary vein, and it finishes at the heart.

EMMA HERNÁNDEZ

BREATHING MECHANISM COMPREHENSION QUESTIONS

Watch the video again: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rPKyoD4Jkoc

Answer the following questions:

1.In what two ways does the chest expand outwards?

There are two ways which the chest can expand:

Breathing in: when we breath in, all the atmospheric air goes into our lungs and they increase their size to let enter the air. Also, our diaphragm goes down and our chest opens to let space for our lungs to dilate.

Breathing out: it is the process when you expire the air that your body doesn’t need. In this movement all the muscles and organs that were altered in the inspiration process are relaxed now, they go to their original site.

2.What are parietal pleura and what is their function?

The parietal pleura are the surface of the lungs and it protects the lung.

3. What are the alveoli and why is there always tension between their surfaces?

The alveoli are bags found in the final of the bronchioles and their function is to make the gas exchange. There is always tension between their surfaces because there are water molecules, which are attracted to each other

4.What is a surfactant and what is its function?

Surfactant is a phospholipid bounded to a little protein, which function is to avoid the molecules of water of the same alveoli being attracted. Without that substance, the water molecules would be attracted with the other molecules of the same alveoli, so that attraction would close the alveoli with a very strong force.

5.What is collagen and what is its function? 

Collagen is a substance that makes the lung elastic. This elasticity prevents the collapse of the lungs. Without collagen, our lungs wouldn't have elasticity, which would make more difficult the movements of breathing: breathing in and breathing out.

 6.What prevents healthy lungs from collapsing? 

There are two substances that prevents de collpase of the lungs: surfactant, which is a layer that separates the water molecules of the same alveoli, and collagen, which produces elasticity in the lungs.

Watch the video about the chemical processes created when breathing and write its summary http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fLKOBQ6cZHA

The alveoli contain 21% of oxygen, 78% of nitrogen and 1% of carbon dioxide, this oxygen goes into the blood through the capillary. Red blood cells are the most important cells in the gases exchange, because they contain millions of hemoglobin molecules, which have four atoms of iron that attract the oxygen and make it go inside the red blood cell. Those red blood cells are dragged with the plasma, and go through the vein to the heart. The blood that comes in the artery to the lung’s capillary is deoxygenated blood, which means that has got a high level of carbon dioxide and a very poor level of oxygen. This carbon dioxide penetrates into the alveoli and goes outside through the mouth or the nous.