Describe one way the human respiratory system degrades over our lifespans, and explain one environmental condition that could cause an unnatural degradation as someone ages, including why that environmental condition harms their respiratory system. Describe how both natural aging or environmental harm can make people more susceptible to disease, explaining the link between the damage and the disease.

(subject is anatomy)

Question

Nickolas Church

Biology

1 July, 13:55

Describe one way the human respiratory system degrades over our lifespans, and explain one environmental condition that could cause an unnatural degradation as someone ages, including why that environmental condition harms their respiratory system. Describe how both natural aging or environmental harm can make people more susceptible to disease, explaining the link between the damage and the disease.

(subject is anatomy)

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Jaylin Blackwell · Answer 1

As human age, their respiratory system also ages making gaseous exchange less and less effective. With age the bone and muscular strenght of tissues that keep the respiratory tract open lessen and it becomes the tract slowly collapses. The alveoli also age and become baggy losing their shape. The dead space between alveoli also increases.

This is accelerated by some environmental conditions such as air pollution and smoking. When particulate matter settles in the lungs and alveoli, it causes accelerate damage to the lung tissues and scarring. This is why people in chronically polluted areas, generally speaking, live less longer than people in cleaner environments especially due to respiratory problems they develop.