Lesson 1 of 8
The gas exchange system
Goal: Name the parts of the gas exchange system and their functions.
Your gas exchange system takes air deep into your lungs, so that oxygen can pass into your blood.
- Air goes in through your nose or mouth and down the trachea, which is also called the windpipe.
- The trachea splits into two bronchi, one for each lung. Each bronchus branches into smaller and smaller tubes called bronchioles.
- Each bronchiole ends in a bunch of alveoli. These tiny air sacs are where gas exchange happens.
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Key words in this lesson
Gas exchange Taking in one gas and giving out another
Trachea The windpipe: carries air from the nose and mouth towards the lungs
Bronchi Two tubes that carry air from the trachea into the lungs
Bronchioles Small tubes inside the lungs
Alveoli Tiny air sacs at the ends of the bronchioles
Diaphragm A sheet of muscle underneath the lungs