The way in
Nostrils, throat and lungs.
Dusty air
A breath of air may carry dust and tiny particles.
Where do you think the air is cleaned on its way in?
What this lesson covers
The idea
Air enters through the nostrils, where fine hairs and mucus filter it, and passes through the throat into the lungs; rings of cartilage in the throat keep the air-passage from collapsing.
Dusty air
A breath of air may carry dust and tiny particles.
Where do you think the air is cleaned on its way in?
- In the nostrils
- In the lungs only
- It is not cleaned
Follow the air
Open each tab.
A cleaned, open passage
Air enters through the nostrils. Fine hairs and mucus in the passage filter it. Then it goes through the throat into the lungs. Rings of cartilage in the throat keep the air-passage open, so that it does not collapse.
Air enters through the nostrils, where fine hairs and mucus filter it, and passes through the throat into the lungs; rings of cartilage in the throat keep the air-passage from collapsing.
Notes
Air enters by the nostrils (fine hairs and mucus filter it), passes the throat (rings of cartilage keep it open) and reaches the lungs.
Check yourself
What filters the air in the nostrils?
What keeps the air-passage in the throat from collapsing?
In which order does air pass through these parts?
Through which parts does air enter the body in human beings first?
- Fine hairs and mucus lining the passage — correct. Yes!
- Rings of cartilage. Rings of cartilage in the throat keep the air-passage from collapsing.
- Alveoli. Alveoli are the balloon-like structures in the lungs where gases are exchanged.
- Mucus. Mucus lines the passage and helps in filtering the air.
- Rings of cartilage — correct. Yes!
- Fine hairs. Fine hairs in the passage filter the air.
- Throat, nostrils, lungs. The air is taken in through the nostrils first, and then it passes through the throat.
- Lungs, throat, nostrils. Lungs are the last part: the air reaches them after the nostrils and the throat.
- Nostrils, throat, lungs — correct. Yes!
- The nostrils — correct. Yes!
- The throat. The air passes through the throat after the nostrils.
- The lungs. The air reaches the lungs after passing through the nostrils and the throat.