How air moves
Before you read
Test yourself first: 5 questions
Question 1 of 5
The main function of the respiratory system is to:
Answer: B. The respiratory system takes in oxygen and removes carbon dioxide through gas exchange in the lungs.
Question 2 of 5
The primary stimulus that drives a healthy person's respiratory rate is:
Answer: A. Central chemoreceptors respond mainly to CO2 (via pH change in cerebrospinal fluid). Low oxygen is a backup stimulus that becomes primary only in chronic CO2 retention.
Question 3 of 5
Smoking is most directly harmful to the:
Answer: B. Smoking damages the lungs and airways of the respiratory system.
Question 4 of 5
The respiratory and circulatory systems work together to supply the body with:
Answer: B. The lungs take in oxygen and the blood transports it to the body's cells.
Question 5 of 5
The medulla oblongata controls which vital functions?
Answer: A. The medulla houses the cardiac, respiratory and vasomotor centers — which is why injury there is rapidly life-threatening.
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