respiratory system
noun Anatomy.
the system by which oxygen is taken into the body and an exchange of oxygen and carbon dioxide takes place; in mammals the system includes the nasal passages, pharynx, trachea, bronchi, and lungs.
Origin of respiratory system
First recorded in 1935–40
Words nearby respiratory system
British Dictionary definitions for respiratory system
respiratory system
noun
the specialized organs, collectively, concerned with external respiration: in humans and other mammals it includes the trachea, bronchi, bronchioles, lungs, and diaphragm
Medical definitions for respiratory system
respiratory system
n.
The integrated system of organs involved in the intake and exchange of oxygen and carbon dioxide between the body and the environment and including the nasal passages, larynx, trachea, bronchial tubes, and lungs.
Scientific definitions for respiratory system
respiratory system
The system of organs and structures in which gas exchange takes place, consisting of the lungs and airways in air-breathing vertebrates, gills in fish and many invertebrates, the outer covering of the body in worms, and specialized air ducts in insects.
Cultural definitions for respiratory system
respiratory system
[ (res-puh-ruh-tawr-ee) ]
The organs in the body involved in respiration. Air enters the body through the nose and mouth and travels down the trachea, through the bronchial tubes, and finally into the lungs. Once in the lungs, the air is drawn into an enormous number of thin-walled sacs richly supplied with capillaries. The exchange of oxygen and carbon dioxide in the blood takes place in these tiny sacs.