We take between 12 and 18 breaths per minute—without even noticing. It is a process that we all take for granted, but it is actually very complex and fascinating—and involves various respiratory organs that together form our respiratory system. But how does this interaction work, and what role does coughing play in it?
The path of inhaled air through the respiratory organs
The respiratory system, consisting of the various respiratory organs, is responsible for the smooth functioning of our breathing. These are divided into the...
- upper respiratory tract (nose, sinuses, mouth and throat)
- and the lower respiratory tract (larynx, trachea, bronchi, lungs).
The respiratory system, with all its respiratory organs, is responsible, among other things, for supplying our body with oxygen-rich fresh air and expelling used, CO2 - containing air – the so-called gas exchange. In this process, the inhaled air always follows the same path: Fresh air flows through the nostrils, across the nasal cavity, and into the pharynx. From there, it passes through the larynx into the trachea, then on to the bronchi, and finally into the lungs and the alveoli located there. When exhaling, the carbon dioxide-enriched air simply follows the same path back.
However, the respiratory organs are not just the "passages" of the body through which air flows, but they also perform important tasks and functions within the respiratory system.
Larynx, trachea, bronchi – the “guardians” of the lungs
Before the air flows into the trachea, it passes to the next respiratory organ: the larynx. The epiglottis can temporarily separate the esophagus and trachea, thus protecting the lungs from the entry of saliva or food.
From the larynx, air is directed into the trachea, which at its end divides into a left and a right branch – the two main bronchi. Both the trachea and the bronchi are lined with countless tiny cilia that constantly move towards the mouth. They prevent small foreign bodies and mucus from entering the lungs by expelling them.
The urge to cough – an important protective reflex of our respiratory organs
Coughing also helps to expel foreign bodies and mucus. Various receptors are located on the mucous membrane of the airways to facilitate this process. If these receptors are irritated, for example by increased mucus accumulation, they transmit this impulse to the cough centre in the brain, triggering the cough reflex. Depending on the type of cough, different treatment approaches may be appropriate. Cough medicines with a broad spectrum of action, such as Prospan , help to loosen stubborn mucus, dilate the bronchi, and alleviate inflammation and the cough itself.
Alveoli – gas exchange
After the air we breathe has been cleaned, gas exchange takes place: oxygen is absorbed into the blood and carbon dioxide is released from the blood. This process is carried out by the alveoli, tiny air sacs located at the ends of the smallest branches of the bronchi. The lungs consist of over 300 million of these tiny air sacs, which, if laid side by side, would cover an area the size of half a tennis court. But we need this surface area to absorb as much vital oxygen as possible at once.
The alveoli (air sacs) in the lungs are surrounded by a dense network of tiny blood vessels called capillaries. The blood in the capillaries comes from the organs and contains a lot of carbon dioxide – a waste product of our metabolism that needs to be eliminated. The oxygen from the alveoli, on the other hand, needs to reach the organs, because they need oxygen to function. To make this happen, the alveoli and capillaries exchange oxygen for carbon dioxide – and the cycle begins again.