The respiratory system is the parts of your body that allow you to breathe. The respiratory system includes these parts:  lungs, mouth, nose, esophagus or windpipe, and the diaphragm.

Air goes in through our noses or our mouths. It travels down the windpipe and into the lungs. The lungs expand, or get larger. The diaphragm moves to let this happen. Once the air is in the lungs, there are small bubbles or sacs inside the lungs. These sacs are called aleoli. The aleoli take the air and pull oxygen from it. This oxygen is then put into the blood so it can travel around the body.

These aleoli also take carbon dioxide out of our bodies. Carbon dioxide is a waste product. When we exhale, we are exhaling carbon dioxide in the air that we breathe out.

People breathe in about twenty times every minute.

When we breathe air in and our, we are sharing our air with other people. This is why we have to be careful when we have colds or other illnesses. Those germs spread by doing in our air and down into our lungs. Be sure to cover your mouth when you cough or sneeze, and to wash your hands often.

When people take drugs, their respiratory systems are affected. Some drugs, like inhalants, are breathed directly into the body. The drugs go straight into someone's lungs, and then into the bloodstream. Some drugs, like cigarettes, cause the lungs to lose some of their power. People who smoke usually can't breathe as well as people who don't smoke.

If you know someone who is using drugs, tell them how they are harming their respiratory systems.

Want to learn more about the respiratory system? Be sure to visit this site:  http://yucky.discovery.com/flash/body/pg000138.html.

Picture drawn by Brandi.