Functions of the Respiratory System
The respiratory system, consisting of the lungs, trachea, diaphragm, bronchi, and bronchioles, delivers oxygen to all parts of the body. The respiratory system also performs a gas exchange where it trades waste-filled carbon dioxide that is produced by the body for oxygen. During WWI, chemical warfare was devastating to the respiratory system of the soldiers, especially those fighting against Germany.
Chlorine gas, first used in 1915 at the First Battle of Ypres, was new to the soldiers affected. It would cause severe eye irritation, difficulty breathing, and potentially fatal pulmonary edema, or a collection of fluid in the lungs. To fight off the effects of the gas, soldiers would hold a piece of cloth soaked in bicarbonate of soda over their nose and mouth. Chlorine gas was used in many other battles, including the Second Battle of Ypres, the Loos-Artois Offensive, and the Battle of Nueve Chapelle.
Chlorine gas, first used in 1915 at the First Battle of Ypres, was new to the soldiers affected. It would cause severe eye irritation, difficulty breathing, and potentially fatal pulmonary edema, or a collection of fluid in the lungs. To fight off the effects of the gas, soldiers would hold a piece of cloth soaked in bicarbonate of soda over their nose and mouth. Chlorine gas was used in many other battles, including the Second Battle of Ypres, the Loos-Artois Offensive, and the Battle of Nueve Chapelle.
bron·chi noun \ˈbräŋ-ki\ : either of the two primary divisions of the trachea that lead respectively into the right and the left lung; broadly
tra·chea noun \ˈtrā-kē-ə\medical : a long tube in your neck and chest that carries air into and out of your lungs
Works Cited:
Briggs, Josh. "How Mustard Gas Works." HowStuffWorks. HowStuffWorks.com, 13 May 2008. Web. 17 Feb. 2014.
<http://science.howstuffworks.com/mustard-gas2.htm>
"Trachea." Merriam-Webster.com. Merriam-Webster, n.d. Web. 24 Feb. 2014. <http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/trachea>.
Simkin, John. "Chlorine Gas." (2013): n.pag. Spartacus Educationaal. Web. 29 Jan 2014. <http://www.spartacus.schoolnet.co.uk/FWWchlorine.htm>.
Briggs, Josh. "How Mustard Gas Works." HowStuffWorks. HowStuffWorks.com, 13 May 2008. Web. 17 Feb. 2014.
<http://science.howstuffworks.com/mustard-gas2.htm>
"Trachea." Merriam-Webster.com. Merriam-Webster, n.d. Web. 24 Feb. 2014. <http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/trachea>.
Simkin, John. "Chlorine Gas." (2013): n.pag. Spartacus Educationaal. Web. 29 Jan 2014. <http://www.spartacus.schoolnet.co.uk/FWWchlorine.htm>.
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