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Breathing ( respiration or ventilation) is the rhythmic process of moving air into (inhalation) and out of (exhalation) the to enable gas exchange with the internal environment, primarily to remove carbon dioxide and take in oxygen.
All aerobic organisms require oxygen for cellular respiration, which extracts energy from food and produces carbon dioxide as a Waste. External respiration (breathing) brings air to the alveoli where gases move by diffusion; the circulatory system then transports oxygen and carbon dioxide between the lungs and the tissues. (2025). 9781416045748, Saunders/Elsevier. ISBN 9781416045748 (2025). 9780198568780, Oxford University Press. ISBN 9780198568780
In with lungs, breathing consists of repeated cycles of inhalation and exhalation through a branched system of airways that conduct air from the nose or mouth to the alveoli. (2025). 9780198568780, Oxford University Press. ISBN 9780198568780 The number of respiratory cycles per minute — the respiratory rate — is a primary vital signs Under normal conditions, depth and rate of breathing are controlled unconsciously by Homeostasis that maintain arterial of carbon dioxide and oxygen. Keeping arterial CO₂ stable helps maintain extracellular fluid pH; hyperventilation and hypoventilation alter CO₂ and thus pH and produce distressing symptoms.
Breathing also supports speech, laughter and certain (yawning, cough reflex, sneezing) and can contribute to thermoregulation (for example, panting in animals that cannot sweat sufficiently).
During heavy breathing (hyperpnea), such as with exercise, exhalation also involves active contraction of the abdominal muscles, which pushes the diaphragm upward and reduces end-exhalatory lung volume. Even at maximum exhalation a normal mammal retains residual air in the lungs.
Diaphragmatic (or abdominal) breathing produces visible abdominal movement; use of accessory muscles with clavicular elevation is seen in labored breathing, for example during severe asthma or chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) exacerbations.
The gas exhaled is 4% to 5% by volume of carbon dioxide, about a hundredfold increase over the inhaled amount. The volume of oxygen is reduced by about a quarter, 4% to 5%, of total air volume. The typical composition is:
In addition to air, underwater divers practicing technical diving may breathe oxygen-rich, oxygen-depleted or helium-rich breathing gas mixtures. Oxygen and analgesic gases are sometimes given to patients under medical care. The atmosphere in is pure oxygen. However, this is kept at around 20% of Earthbound atmospheric pressure to regulate the rate of inspiration.
The atmospheric pressure decreases exponentially with altitude, roughly halving with every rise in altitude. The composition of atmospheric air is, however, almost constant below 80 km, as a result of the continuous mixing effect of the weather. The concentration of oxygen in the air (mmols O2 per liter of air) therefore decreases at the same rate as the atmospheric pressure. (2025). 9780195718065, Oxford University Press. ISBN 9780195718065 At sea level, where the ambient pressure is about 100 kPa, oxygen constitutes 21% of the atmosphere and the partial pressure of oxygen () is 21 kPa (i.e. 21% of 100 kPa). At the summit of Mount Everest, , where the total atmospheric pressure is 33.7 kPa, oxygen still constitutes 21% of the atmosphere but its partial pressure is only 7.1 kPa (i.e. 21% of 33.7 kPa = 7.1 kPa). Therefore, a greater volume of air must be inhaled at altitude than at sea level in order to breathe in the same amount of oxygen in a given period.
During inhalation, air is warmed and saturated with water vapor as it passes through the nose and pharynx before it enters the alveoli. The saturated vapor pressure of water is dependent only on temperature; at a body core temperature of 37 °C it is 6.3 kPa (47.0 mmHg), regardless of any other influences, including altitude. Consequently, at sea level, the tracheal air (immediately before the inhaled air enters the alveoli) consists of: water vapor ( = 6.3 kPa), nitrogen ( = 74.0 kPa), oxygen ( = 19.7 kPa) and trace amounts of carbon dioxide and other gases, a total of 100 kPa. In dry air, the at sea level is 21.0 kPa, compared to a of 19.7 kPa in the tracheal air (21% of 100 = 19.7 kPa). At the summit of Mount Everest tracheal air has a total pressure of 33.7 kPa, of which 6.3 kPa is water vapor, reducing the in the tracheal air to 5.8 kPa (21% of 33.7 = 5.8 kPa), beyond what is accounted for by a reduction of atmospheric pressure alone (7.1 kPa).
The pressure gradient forcing air into the lungs during inhalation is also reduced by altitude. Doubling the volume of the lungs halves the pressure in the lungs at any altitude. Having the sea level air pressure (100 kPa) results in a pressure gradient of 50 kPa but doing the same at 5500 m, where the atmospheric pressure is 50 kPa, a doubling of the volume of the lungs results in a pressure gradient of the only 25 kPa. In practice, because we breathe in a gentle, cyclical manner that generates pressure gradients of only 2–3 kPa, this has little effect on the actual rate of inflow into the lungs and is easily compensated for by breathing slightly deeper. The lower viscosity of air at altitude allows air to flow more easily and this also helps compensate for any loss of pressure gradient.
All of the above effects of low atmospheric pressure on breathing are normally accommodated by increasing the respiratory minute volume (the volume of air breathed in — or out — per minute), and the mechanism for doing this is automatic. The exact increase required is determined by the respiratory gases homeostatic mechanism, which regulates the arterial and . This Homeostasis prioritizes the regulation of the arterial over that of oxygen at sea level. That is to say, at sea level the arterial is maintained at very close to 5.3 kPa (or 40 mmHg) under a wide range of circumstances, at the expense of the arterial , which is allowed to vary within a very wide range of values, before eliciting a corrective ventilatory response. However, when the atmospheric pressure (and therefore the atmospheric ) falls to below 75% of its value at sea level, oxygen homeostasis is given priority over carbon dioxide homeostasis. This switch-over occurs at an elevation of about . If this switch occurs relatively abruptly, the hyperventilation at high altitude will cause a severe fall in the arterial with a consequent rise in the pH of the arterial plasma leading to respiratory alkalosis. This is one contributor to high altitude sickness. On the other hand, if the switch to oxygen homeostasis is incomplete, then hypoxia may complicate the clinical picture with potentially fatal results.
Air is provided by a diving regulator, which reduces the high pressure in a diving cylinder to the ambient pressure. The breathing performance of regulators is a factor when choosing a suitable regulator for the type of diving to be undertaken. It is desirable that breathing from a regulator requires low effort even when supplying large amounts of air. It is also recommended that it supplies air smoothly without any sudden changes in resistance while inhaling or exhaling. In the graph, right, note the initial spike in pressure on exhaling to open the exhaust valve and that the initial drop in pressure on inhaling is soon overcome as the Venturi effect designed into the regulator to allow an easy draw of air. Many regulators have an adjustment to change the ease of inhaling so that breathing is effortless.
Other breathing disorders include shortness of breath (dyspnea), stridor, apnea, sleep apnea (most commonly obstructive sleep apnea), mouth breathing, and snoring. Many conditions are associated with obstructed airways. Chronic mouth breathing may be associated with illness. Hypopnea refers to overly shallow breathing; hyperpnea refers to fast and deep breathing brought on by a demand for more oxygen, as for example by exercise. The terms hypoventilation and hyperventilation also refer to shallow breathing and fast and deep breathing respectively, but under inappropriate circumstances or disease. However, this distinction (between, for instance, hyperpnea and hyperventilation) is not always adhered to, so that these terms are frequently used interchangeably.
A range of can be used to diagnose diseases such as dietary intolerances. A rhinomanometry uses acoustic technology to examine the air flow through the nasal passages.
In tai chi, aerobic exercise is combined with breathing exercises to strengthen the diaphragm muscles, improve posture and make better use of the body's qi. Different forms of meditation, and yoga advocate various breathing methods. A form of Buddhist meditation called anapanasati meaning mindfulness of breath was first introduced by Gautama Buddha. Breathing disciplines are incorporated into meditation, certain forms of yoga such as pranayama, and the Buteyko method as a treatment for asthma and other conditions.
In music, some wind instrument players use a technique called circular breathing. Singing also rely on breath control.
Common cultural expressions related to breathing include: "to catch my breath", "took my breath away", "inspiration", "to expire", "get my breath back".
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