Exhalation
Encyclopedia
Exhalation is the movement of air out of the bronchial tubes, through the airway
s, to the external environment during breathing.
This happens due to elastic properties of the lungs, as well as the internal intercostal muscles which lower the rib cage and decrease thoracic volume. As the thoracic diaphragm
contracts during inhaling, its relaxation causes it and the tissue it has depressed to rise superiorly and put pressure on the lungs to expel the air too.
Exhaled air is rich in carbon dioxide
, a waste product of cellular respiration
during the production of energy, which is stored in ATP
.
Exhalation has a complementary relationship to inhalation
; the cycling between these two efforts define respiration.
During forced exhalation, as when blowing out a candle, expiratory muscles including the abdominal muscles and internal intercostal muscles, generate abdominal and thoracic pressure, which forces air out of the lungs.
It is during exhalation that the olfaction
contribution to flavor
occurs in contrast to that of ordinary smell which occurs during the inhalation phase.
Airway
The pulmonary airway comprises those parts of the respiratory system through which air flows, conceptually beginning at the nose and mouth, and terminating in the alveoli...
s, to the external environment during breathing.
This happens due to elastic properties of the lungs, as well as the internal intercostal muscles which lower the rib cage and decrease thoracic volume. As the thoracic diaphragm
Thoracic diaphragm
In the anatomy of mammals, the thoracic diaphragm, or simply the diaphragm , is a sheet of internal skeletal muscle that extends across the bottom of the rib cage. The diaphragm separates the thoracic cavity from the abdominal cavity and performs an important function in respiration...
contracts during inhaling, its relaxation causes it and the tissue it has depressed to rise superiorly and put pressure on the lungs to expel the air too.
Exhaled air is rich in carbon dioxide
Carbon dioxide
Carbon dioxide is a naturally occurring chemical compound composed of two oxygen atoms covalently bonded to a single carbon atom...
, a waste product of cellular respiration
Cellular respiration
Cellular respiration is the set of the metabolic reactions and processes that take place in the cells of organisms to convert biochemical energy from nutrients into adenosine triphosphate , and then release waste products. The reactions involved in respiration are catabolic reactions that involve...
during the production of energy, which is stored in ATP
Adenosine triphosphate
Adenosine-5'-triphosphate is a multifunctional nucleoside triphosphate used in cells as a coenzyme. It is often called the "molecular unit of currency" of intracellular energy transfer. ATP transports chemical energy within cells for metabolism...
.
Exhalation has a complementary relationship to inhalation
Inhalation
Inhalation is the movement of air from the external environment, through the air ways, and into the alveoli....
; the cycling between these two efforts define respiration.
During forced exhalation, as when blowing out a candle, expiratory muscles including the abdominal muscles and internal intercostal muscles, generate abdominal and thoracic pressure, which forces air out of the lungs.
It is during exhalation that the olfaction
Olfaction
Olfaction is the sense of smell. This sense is mediated by specialized sensory cells of the nasal cavity of vertebrates, and, by analogy, sensory cells of the antennae of invertebrates...
contribution to flavor
Flavor
Flavor or flavour is the sensory impression of a food or other substance, and is determined mainly by the chemical senses of taste and smell. The "trigeminal senses", which detect chemical irritants in the mouth and throat as well as temperature and texture, are also very important to the overall...
occurs in contrast to that of ordinary smell which occurs during the inhalation phase.