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What are the Mechanics of Breathing? – Video
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Video at a Glance
- The ribs in the chest wall are connected by internal and external intercostals, and as the ribs turn outward, the lungs expand.
- The parietal pleura is tissue around the ribs that lie against the chest wall and meet at the hilum of the lung.
- Lung tissue is made up of alveoli, airways, and lung vasculature.
- Upon inspiration, a large force pulls the chest wall outwards with more force than the opposing inward pull via surfactant and elastin. Therefore, the pleural space becomes less negative.
- During normal expiration, the muscles in the diaphragm and chest wall are relaxed and the chest wall recoil works against the expiration. The expiration occurs due to the negative inward pressures caused by lung recoil due to elastin fibers and surface tension inside the alveoli.
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