How breathing brings oxygen to the body — Health, 7–10 years
Breathing is more than moving air in and out. It helps every part of the body receive oxygen and get rid of a waste gas.
Air takes a useful journey
When you breathe in, air travels through your nose or mouth, down the windpipe and into your lungs. Tiny air sacs in the lungs pass oxygen into the blood, while carbon dioxide moves out to be breathed away.
Why do we need to breathe?
Your cells need oxygen to release energy from food, so your muscles can move and your brain can work. They also make carbon dioxide, which the body must remove; breathing solves both problems continuously, even while you sleep.
After running
1. You run for one minute, so your muscles need more energy. 2. Your brain makes you breathe faster and your heart beat quicker. 3. More air reaches the lungs, more oxygen enters the blood, and the blood carries it to working muscles. 4. Breathing slows when the extra demand ends.
“My lungs are empty”
It is easy to imagine lungs as balloons that become completely empty after breathing out. In fact, some air remains so the delicate air sacs do not collapse and gas exchange can continue. A deep breath adds air; it does not start from nothing.
Breathing in everyday life
You notice this system when you climb stairs, sing, laugh or blow out a candle. Smoke can irritate the airways and make breathing harder, which is one reason smoke-filled places are unsafe. If someone is struggling to breathe, tell a trusted adult promptly.
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