Drag each label to the appropriate location on the flowchart. Air travels down the trachea and then enters the bronchi. Air enters through the Air reaches small sacs nose or mouth. called alveoli. Air travels down smaller and smaller bronchioles. 1 2 3 4 ? ? ? ?
The Correct Answer and Explanation is:
Correct Flowchart Labels:
- Air enters through the nose or mouth.
- Air travels down the trachea and then enters the bronchi.
- Air travels down smaller and smaller bronchioles.
- Air reaches small sacs called alveoli.
Explanation
This flowchart illustrates the journey of air through the human respiratory system. Understanding this pathway is essential to comprehend how our body takes in oxygen and expels carbon dioxide — a critical life-sustaining process.
Step 1: Air enters through the nose or mouth.
The respiratory process begins when a person inhales. Air can enter either through the nose or the mouth. The nasal cavity filters, warms, and humidifies the air before it moves deeper into the respiratory tract. If air enters through the mouth, it bypasses some of this conditioning but still reaches the lungs effectively.
Step 2: Air travels down the trachea and then enters the bronchi.
From the nasal or oral cavity, air moves down the throat and into the trachea — a rigid tube supported by cartilage rings. The trachea splits into two bronchi (one for each lung), which direct air into the lungs.
Step 3: Air travels down smaller and smaller bronchioles.
Inside the lungs, the bronchi branch into increasingly smaller tubes called bronchioles. This branching increases the surface area available for gas exchange. The bronchioles play a key role in regulating airflow and directing air to different regions of the lung.
Step 4: Air reaches small sacs called alveoli.
Finally, the air reaches the alveoli — tiny sac-like structures at the end of the bronchioles. These sacs are surrounded by capillaries where gas exchange occurs: oxygen passes into the blood, and carbon dioxide is removed and exhaled. The alveoli are the final destination of inhaled air and are crucial for respiration.
By following this sequence, we can see how air moves efficiently from the external environment to the bloodstream, enabling the body to sustain life through respiration.
