This is a community of those using "Building Foundations of Scientific Understanding"

Elementary Science Education

Respiratory system

Viewing 0 reply threads
  • Author
    Posts
    • #8642

      Bernard Nebel
      Keymaster

      Have kids note that one activity they are always engaged in is breathing! Stop breathing for more than a couple minutes or so and they will suffocate and die. Breathing is indicative of each cell’s constant need for oxygen for the oxidation of food stuffs (or stored fat). This is the process that releases the food’s potential energy in a form that powers the cells work.

      In the following video, stress the general structure of lungs–air passageways branching and re-branching into smaller and smaller tubes, each ending in tiny “sac” called an alveolus. Each is surrounded by a web of blood capillaries (a capillary bed). Here oxygen moves from the inhaled air into the blood and carbon dioxide, the waste from oxidation, moves from the blood into the air to be exhaled.


      (you can skip 2:00 to 4:30 and everything beyond 6:00)
      Please post questions or comments in the box below

Viewing 0 reply threads
  • You must be logged in to reply to this topic.