‘Don’t hold your breath’ is an expression you’ve probably
heard many times, but may not have thought too much about. In this free course, Blood and the respiratory system, you’ll study why respiration is so important for life, including how air enters
and leaves the lungs, how oxygen is transported in the blood, the many dynamic
factors that control breathing, and some diseases that affect respiration.
Course learning outcomes
After studying this course, you should be able to:
describe and illustrate the main anatomical structures of the respiratory system and the mechanics of inspiration and expiration
discuss the factors that affect pulmonary ventilation
outline the mechanisms of O2 and CO2 transport in the blood
describe diseases resulting from mutations in haemoglobin
demonstrate an understanding of the control of the respiration rate.