The cardiovascular and respiratory systems are largely responsible for the transportation of oxygen and carbon dioxide through the body. Respiration consists of both inspiration and expiration. These actions are the methods by which essential oxygen is exchanged with harmful carbon dioxide. While oxygen is brought into the lungs during inhalation to be processed throughout the body, carbon dioxide is brought during exhalation to be removed from the system entirely. Once the oxygen has reached the lungs it is taken up by the bloodstream in order to be distributed to the various cells that require a constant exchange of nutrients and essential chemicals in order to maintain their stability.
Inspiration is the drawing of air into the lungs. This generally occurs through the contraction of the diaphragm and other muscles. The contraction of this muscle essentially creates a pump which causes the lungs to expand, drawing air into them. This process creates a suction process that allows for gases to be exchanged between the inner and outer spaces. Inspiration is also understood as inhalation, which is the process by which oxygen is drawn into the body and allows for the process of respiration to take place. Expiration, or pushing air out of the lungs, happens in the opposite way (Pittman Ch. 2). The relaxing of the diaphragm essentially collapses the lung cavity pushing all of the air out of it, allowing it to escape from the body and be exchanged with the air outside.
During the process of internal respiration, or inspiration, the oxygen from the air is drawn into the lungs in order to be processed into usable materials. The oxygen is absorbed into the blood while the carbon dioxide is removed and extracted. This occurs due to the fact that the red blood cells in the body have carried the older materials that have accumulated carbon dioxide and refresh them by pumping them with oxygen and removing the carbon dioxide. This is essential, as carbon dioxide is a byproduct of the body's natural processes and having too much in the system can cause physiological harm to the individual. Excess of carbon dioxide can have the effect of essentially poisoning the body which can damage the heart or even cause suffocation when experienced at too high of levels. For this reason, it is necessary for the lungs to push out the carbon dioxide and exchange it for oxygen.
The circulatory system is essential for providing this much needed oxygen to the various cells in the body. This system, at each moment, is maintaining a specific chemical ratio so that the cells in the body are able to survive. This system allows for the immediate refreshing of the chemical makeup at any given time by providing cells with the capacity to refresh themselves over the distance of the body. Furthermore, this circulation of blood allows for the exchange of various nutrients within the cells, much like the respiration process allows for the exchange of oxygen and carbon dioxide. However, these transactions are essential for both the health and survival of the cells themselves (Cabin Ch. 1). This requires not only that the pressure and flow of blood be constant in order to maintain the most efficient carrying methods but also that the composition of the blood itself, and what it carries, is specified for the environment that it is attempting to bring nutrients to.
At this point, the process of external respiration, or exhalation takes place. Once the blood stream has been infused with oxygen the exhalation process takes the carbon dioxide and carries it outside while the oxygen itself is distributed by the circulatory system throughout the body. The circulatory system has brought the old carbon dioxide to be released during this process while it has taken the oxygen brought through inhalation in order for it to be distributed throughout the body.
References
Cabin, Henry S. The Heart and Circulation. The Heart and How it Works. Yale University School of Medicine. 2016. Print.
Pittman, RN. Regulation of Tissue Oxygenation. San Rafael (CA): Morgan & Claypool Life Sciences; 2011. Print.
