Respiratory System Facts for Kids

A Picture of the Human Respiratory System
  • Name: Respiratory
  • System: The respiratory system
  • Location: Upper body, throat and head
  • Purpose: Breathe in oxygen and breathe out carbon dioxide
  • Organs: Nose, mouth, trachea, lungs and diaphragm
  • TA ID: A06.0.00.000
  • FMA ID: 7158

27 Respiratory System Facts for Kids

  1. The respiratory system is a group of organs in the human body that exchange oxygen and carbon dioxide.
  2. The respiratory system is what allows humans to breathe in oxygen and exhale carbon dioxide.
  3. The respiratory system consists of quite a few organs, including the lungs and the diaphragm.
  4. The maximum capacity of adult human lungs is about 1.5 gallons.
  5. The human body takes around 17,000 breaths each day or around 2,000 gallons of air.
  6. The lungs are where the gas exchange happens, oxygen is brought into the body and carbon dioxide is released.
  7. The diaphragm is the muscle that controls around 80% of the breathing a human does.
  8. There are two parts to the respiratory system, the upper respiratory tract and the lower respiratory tract.
  9. The upper respiratory tract is the nasal cavity, paranasal sinuses, part of the throat (pharynx) and the larynx (voice box).
  10. The lower respiratory tract is the trachea, bronchi, right lung, left lung and the diaphragm.
  11. The respiratory system is the attack vector (entry point) for many viruses, bacteria and fungus.
  12. When you have a respiratory infection, it is classified as an upper respiratory infection or a lower respiratory infection.
  13. An upper respiratory infection is an infection in the upper respiratory tract.
  14. A lower respiratory infection is an infection in lower respiratory tract.
  15. Asthma is a disease that is caused by long-term inflammation of the bronchial tubes.
  16. Doctors don’t know why some people get asthma and others don’t. The theory is asthma is caused by air pollutants, allergens or genetics.
  17. In 2015, it’s estimated that 358 million people worldwide had asthma and it caused over 397,000 deaths.
  18. Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, also known as COPD, is a respiratory disease where damage to the lung tissue and alveoli (air sacs) makes it hard to breathe.
  19. COPD is caused by smoking and breathing in harmful chemicals.
  20. In 2015, it’s estimated that over 174 million people had COPD and it caused 3.2 million deaths.
  21. Pneumonia is a potentially deadly infection of one or both lungs.
  22. Pneumonia causes fluid buildup in the lungs and prevents your body from getting enough oxygen.
  23. Pneumonia can be caused by a virus or bacteria.
  24. In the United States, around 250,000 people are hospital due to pneumonia and around 50,000 die.
  25. Lung cancer is a form of cancer that originates in your lungs.
  26. Lung cancer can be caused by smoking, environmental pollutants and genetics.
  27. In 2018, lung cancer was responsible for the deaths of over 1.7 million people worldwide.

Additional Resources on the Human Respiratory System

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