S3.3.4 For the adult
Breathing
How does air get into my chest when I breathe in?
What this chapter teaches
The lungs have no muscles. The diaphragm, a sheet of muscle under the lungs, and the muscles between the ribs change the size of the chest. When the chest gets bigger, air flows in. When it gets smaller, air is pushed out.
Three questions to ask
There is no one right wording. Listen for the idea.
- Can you feel your ribs move when you breathe in?
- In the bottle model, what stands for the lungs and what for the diaphragm?
- Why can we not breathe by pulling on the lungs themselves?
After the chapter, the learner can
- Make a model lung with a plastic bottle and a bag
- Explain how the ribs and diaphragm move air in and out
What they copy into their notebook
The lungs have no muscles. Breathing in, the diaphragm moves down and the ribs move up and out. The chest gets bigger and air flows in. Breathing out is the reverse.