How we breathe
Chapter 1
The engine of the breath
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Chapter 2
The gas exchange highway
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Chapter 3
The ultimate cleaning crew
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Chapter 4
Breathing at the extremes
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YOUR GOAL
Master of How we breathe
Ch 3 · The ultimate cleaning crew
teacher Sweeping it up (up and out!) / Keeping us clear (no doubt!) / Wave those tiny cilia, that's what breathing's about!
Fun Fact
Sneeze speed: A human sneeze can travel at speeds up to 150 kilometers per hour, launching droplets several meters away.
Glossary
cilia (noun)
Microscopic hairlike projections on the outer surface of some cells that beat rhythmically to move particles or fluid. In the human trachea, they beat up to twenty times per second to sweep out inhaled dust.
Microscopic hairlike projections on the outer surface of some cells that beat rhythmically to move particles or fluid. In the human trachea, they beat up to twenty times per second to sweep out inhaled dust.
Quiz
What percentage of inhaled particles is typically trapped by the sticky mucus in your airways?
Quiz
Which immune cells patrol the human alveoli to engulf and digest dust and bacteria?
Quiz
What are the microscopic, hair-like structures that sweep mucus out of the human lungs?
Quiz
Approximately how much mucus does a healthy human respiratory tract produce each day?