Structure of the Breathing System (Edexcel IGCSE Biology)

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Structure of the Breathing System

  • The thorax is the human chest cavity; it consists of:

    • the ribs

    • intercostal muscles

    • diaphragm

    • trachea

    • bronchi

    • bronchioles

    • alveoli

    • pleural membranes

  • The lungs are the gas exchange surface in humans

  • All gas exchange surfaces have features in common which allow the maximum amount of gases to be exchanged across the surface in the smallest amount of time

  • They include:

    • Large surface area to allow faster diffusion of gases across the surface

    • Thin walls to ensure diffusion distances remain short

    • Good ventilation with air so that diffusion gradients can be maintained

    • Good blood supply to maintain a high concentration gradient so diffusion occurs faster

Structures in the human breathing system, IGCSE & GCSE Biology revision notes

Structures in the human breathing system

Breathing Structures Table

Describing structures in the human breathing system 1, downloadable IGCSE & GCSE Biology revision notes
Describing structures in the human breathing system 2, downloadable IGCSE & GCSE Biology revision notes

Examiner Tips and Tricks

You may notice that several of the features of alveoli that make them suited to their function are the same as those that make villi suited to their function or root hair cells suited to their function – the reason for this is because all of these structures are involved in transporting substances across their surfaces – by diffusion, active transport, osmosis or a combination. So if you learn the features for one, you also know many of the features of the others!

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Lára Marie McIvor

Author: Lára Marie McIvor

Expertise: Biology Lead

Lára graduated from Oxford University in Biological Sciences and has now been a science tutor working in the UK for several years. Lára has a particular interest in the area of infectious disease and epidemiology, and enjoys creating original educational materials that develop confidence and facilitate learning.