Unit Wordlist and Definitions

swimmer exhaling during backstroke
Exhalation by Oleg Didenko – Imported from 500px by the Archive Team, CC BY 3.0.

The Respiratory System

The following Terms and Concepts are important in the study of the Respiratory System.

Jump to Multilingual Approach: Lesson Wordlists with Translations

(Hover over terms below to view definitions and their multilingual translations)


Conducting Zone

nasal cavity

nasal conchae

pharynx

epiglottis

glottis

larynx

true vocal cords trachea

bronchus (left, right)

bronchial tree

bronchiole

lung

Respiratory Zone

respiratory bronchioles

alveolus

Mechanics of Ventilation

Inspiration (inhalation)

Expiration (exhalation)

pleural cavity

quiet breathing 

diaphragm

external intercostals

Internal intercostals forced breathing (active inspiration and expiration):

sternocleidomastoid scalene muscles

abdominal muscles (rectus abdominis)

Gas Exchange

respiratory membrane

Gas Transport in Blood

Hemoglobin

oxyhemoglobin

deoxyhemoglobin

carbaminohemoglobin

Carbonic anhydrase (carbonic acid, bicarbonate ion, hydrogen ion)

Optional:

oxygen-hemoglobin dissociation curve

bohr effect

Control of Ventilation

respiratory cycle

respiratory rate

respiratory volume

tidal volume (TV)

central chemoreceptor

dorsal respiratory group (DRG)

ventral respiratory group (VRG)

apneustic center

pneumotaxic center

Pathophysiology (Breakdowns in Homeostasis)

asthma

bronchoconstriction

bronchodilation

chronic obstructive respiratory disease

emphysema

hyperventilation

bronchitis


Multilingual Approach: Lesson Wordlists with Translation</h2

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Introduction to Human Anatomy & Physiology: A Multilingual Approach Copyright © 2025 by Rachel Thwing; Hugh Jarrard; Ann DeChenne; Kiana Pigao; and Zach Ellsworth is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License, except where otherwise noted.

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