The Inspiration Process (Essay Sample)

The Inspiration Process
Name
Institution
"How does inspiration happen?"
Every living thing needs air to breath with the purpose of surviving. Air is part of a group of elements that an animal or a plant needs so as to live. For example, human beings need oxygen, found in the air, in order to carry out the necessary functions in the body, since cells need oxygen to survive. The process of air circulation in the body begins through a step known as inspiration. Inspiration refers to the act of drawing air into the lungs. Several upper body muscles feature in the process (Chiras, 2013). Through biological studies, scientists and biologists have come up with a thorough explanation of the inspiration process.
Inspiration is the active process in which the chest cavity enlarges due to the contraction of the muscles found in the upper body. The dome shaped diaphragm plays a vital role in the process. At the start of the an inspiration process, the diaphragm muscles contract, causing it to flatten and lie on the abdominal organs. The rib-cage rises, thus increasing the height of the thoracic cavity (Jewett, 2002). Simultaneously, the external intercostal muscles between the ribs contract, which pulls the sternum forward increasing the front-back and side to side size of the whole chest. The main aim of increasing the size of the thoracic cavity is to lower the air body pressure with relation to that of the surrounding atmosphere. Lower inner body pressure allows air to flow into the lungs.
As a subsequent process, the pleural membrane also forms part of the organs that aid in increasing the volume of the chest cavity. The outer part of the pleural membrane (parietal) connects to the diaphragm and the inner chest wall. This outer membrane moves concurrent to the other organs, and as a result the inter-pleural pressure also drops. The inner pleural membrane (Visceral), which attaches itself to the surface of the lungs, follows the movements of the parietal membrane. As an outcome, the lungs expand, increasing the volume and lowering the pressure. The air found in the lungs has a large space to fill; therefore, the pressure falls. Additionally, that forms a vacuum, which permits air to flow into the body lungs in bulk until the intrapulmonary pressure is equal to the atmospheric pressure (Richardson, 2006).
Nonetheless, as part of the inspiration process, it is also imperative to mention how air flows into the lungs. Air enters the body through the mouth or nose, which link to the oral and nasal cavities respectively. The two cavities connect to the pharynx, where the air flows through the larynx. Air flows from the larynx and then to the trachea, which is normally known as the windpipe. The trachea contains villi, which aid in cleansing the air. The trachea separates into two main bronchi, which supply each lung with air. The air from the trachea moves into each lung through the respective bronchus and further into the lung through the many subd...