The heart and lungs are two separate organs, but are “intimately connected” for the proper function of a healthy body. With the function and purpose of both organs, one cannot work without the other. The lungs inhale oxygen, and then exhale the carbon dioxide and other wastes out of the body. With the heart, it pumps blood through the lungs to pick up the oxygen and deposit the waste from traveling through the body. First we start off describing the functions of the lungs and its importance to the human body.
“Your lungs make up one of the largest organs in your body, and they work with your respiratory system to allow you to take in fresh air, get rid of the stale air, and even talk. ” As you breathe in through your mouth and nose, the air travels down the trachea. In your trachea, there are tiny hairs, called cilia, which help keep mucus and dirt that you breathe in out of your lungs. Once through there, oxygen travels through the bronchi, bronchus, and then the bronchioles. At the end there are tiny air sacs called alveoli where blood travels through capillaries and gases are exchanged.
The oxygen will then attach to hemoglobin to be transported through the circulatory system. Once “your cells have used the oxygen they need, and your blood is carrying carbon dioxide and other wastes that must leave your body. The blood comes back through the capillaries and the wastes enter the alveoli. Then you breathe them out in the reverse order of how they came in, which would be the air goes through the bronchioles, out the bronchi, out the trachea, and finally out through your mouth and nose. ” Now we will talk about the heart and important functions it does for us.
The heart is a muscle that is located slightly to the left in your chest, and is about the size of your fist. It pumps blood through your body that is enriched with oxygen and nutrients that your body needs; also, carries away any waste. If the heart does not function properly, blood may not go to the areas that are in need or may lack the amount of oxygen needed. The heart has four different parts: right atrium and ventricle, and the left atrium and ventricle. The right side of the heart receives the deoxygenated blood from the body by entering the right atrium.
Once in there, the blood is then passed into the next chamber, right ventricle, where it is forced into the lungs through the pulmonary artery. Once gases are exchanged in the lungs, the blood then passes through the left side of the heart “via pulmonary veins” into the left atrium. The blood then passes through the left ventricle and forced by high pressure through the aorta to be delivered to the body. Staying healthy is a key element for both the heart and lungs to work properly. Unhealthy habits can lead to diseases in the lungs that affect the heart.
Any kind of disease of the lungs can drastically reduce the amount of oxygen your body needs. If there is a problem with your heart, diseases or complications can reduce the amount of blood flow your body receives. Making sure your have regular check-ups can help reduce these chances or reevaluating your habits can stop any permanent damage in the future. References Heart and Lungs Working Together. (n. d. ). Pleural Mesothelioma and Pulmonary Illnesses.
Retrieved November 5, 2011, from http://pulmonaryillness. com/heart-and-lungs.html The Functions of the Heart – Vascular System. (n. d. ). IvyRose Holistic : Holistic Health, Alternative Medicine, Human Biology, Anatomy & Physiology and Chemistry Study Pages. Retrieved November 28, 2011, from http://www. ivy-rose. co. uk/HumanBody/Blood/Heart_Functions. php Your Heart & Circulatory System . (n. d. ). KidsHealth – the Web’s most visited site about children’s health. Retrieved December 11, 2011, from http://kidshealth. org/PageManager. jsp? lic=1&article_set=54036&cat_id=20607# Your Lungs & Respiratory System . (n. d. ).