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UNIT 1
Living Things and Their
Environment

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March 31, 2014
Photo Credit: http://www.flyingfourchette.com/2013/05/25/around-ubud/
2 Suggested time allotment: 8 to 10 hours

Unit 1
MODULE Respiratory and Circulatory Systems
Working with Other Organ Systems
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Overview
Your body is a fascinating creation that can carry out incredible tasks and
activities. It is like a machine that is able to function with proper organization of parts
and systems. However, our bodies also require proper care and maintenance. It is just
fitting to keep going with a healthy lifestyle to ensure that each part is maintained
appropriately while getting the most out of it.

In the past, you were introduced to the different levels of organizations in the

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human body and the mechanisms involved in it. You have learned that the human body
is composed of different systems, which are collections of cells, tissues, and organs,
each of which has a special job that keeps you alive. Whether you eat, play, dance,
sing, or sleep; each part of your organ systems performs particular functions. You also
discovered how the digestive system breaks down food to nourish your whole body.

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Now, you will learn how the different structures of the circulatory and
respiratory systems work together to transport oxygen-rich blood and nutrients
to the different parts of the body. You will also understand the prevention,
detection, and treatment of diseases affecting the respiratory and circulatory
systems.

At the end of this module, you are expected to:

1. explain the mechanism on how the respiratory and circulatory systems work
together to transport nutrients, gases, and molecules to and from the different
parts of the body;
2. infer how one’s lifestyle can affect the functioning of respiratory and
circulatory systems.

Respiratory system is made up of the organs in the body that help us to

breathe. Just remember that the word respiration is linked to breathing. Circulatory
system is responsible for distributing materials throughout the body. Take note that
circulation means transportation or movement in circles. Both systems are essentially
meant for each other. The common purpose could not be attained without the other
system.
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In Module 1, you will be able to answer the following key questions:

 How do the respiratory and circulatory systems work with each other?

 How do the diseases in the circulatory and respiratory systems begin to develop?

 How can a person’s lifestyle affect the performance of the respiratory and
circulatory systems?

Pre-assessment
Direction: Fill in the K-W-H-L Chart below to assess your prior knowledge and
understanding of the topic, Respiratory and Circulatory Systems, Working with the
other Organ Systems.

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K W H L
What do I know? What do I want to How can I find out What did I learn?
find out? what I want to learn?

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Skills I expect to use:

The Human Breathing System

Breathe in and out. Notice your chest and belly moving and feel the soft air passing from
the nose. Listen to the quiet sounds of breathing in and out. Imagine the air moving from the
nose into the throat, through the air tubes, and into the airsacs. The parts of the respiratory
system that are in charge of supplying oxygen are the nose, nasal passageways, windpipe,
lungs, and diaphragm. In the nose and nasal passages, the entering air is made warm, damp,
and clean of unknown particles. Next, the air moves down through the trachea, bronchi,
bronchioles, and alveoli. Trachea is the empty tube that serves as passageway of air into the
lungs. Bronchi are the two branching tubes that connect the trachea to the lungs. Bronchioles
are the hairlike tubes that connect to the alveoli. Alveoli are the airsacs that allow gas
exchange in the lungs.
Perform the following simple activity to widen your understanding of the human
breathing system.
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Activity 1

PART A
What a Bunch of Grapes!
Objective:
 Identify the key parts of the breathing system

Materials:
Bunch of grapes
(or any other bunch of fruits or vegetables such as arosep or lato (seaweed), lanzones,
cauliflower, etc.)

Procedure:
1. Hold up the bunch of grapes. Let the bunch of grapes represent the breathing
system.

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2. Within your group, locate the parts of the breathing system: the main stem as the
trachea, the large branching stems as the bronchi, and all the little stems as the
bronchioles. The individual grapes are the airsacs or alveoli.
3. One by one, gently take out some of the grapes to expose more of the branching
stems (bronchioles). Observe its structure.
4. Trace the pathway of oxygen using the “Bunch of Grapes” model. Note that air

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moves from the nose (nasal cavity) and mouth (oral cavity) to the trachea,
bronchi, bronchioles, and then into the alveoli (air sacs). The air we breathe
carries the gas oxygen. When we breathe, the oxygen goes to the lungs.

BRONCHI
TRACHEA

BRONCHIOLES
ALVEOLI

Figure 1. The bunch of grapes model of the breathing system

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PART B

Objective:
 Describe the function of each part of the breathing system

Procedure:
1. Refer to the diagram, and check your understanding of the breathing system by
labeling each part and giving its functions in the box corresponding to the part.

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March 31, 2014
Figure 2. The human respiratory system
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Guide Questions:
Q1. What does each part of the “Bunch of Grapes” model represent, in relation to the
breathing system?
______________________________________________________________________

Q2. How will you describe the pathway of oxygen in the breathing system?
______________________________________________________________________

Q3. What will happen if one part of the system fails to carry out its function properly?
______________________________________________________________________

KEY CONCEPTS
The air we breathe goes through the nose, nasal passages, and then
through the trachea or windpipe, which separates into two branches,
called bronchial tubes or bronchi, one entering each lung. The bronchi subdivide

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many times inside the lungs, analogous to the branching pattern of grapes, finally
becoming hairlike tubes called bronchioles. In the last part of the terminal
bronchioles are tiny bubble-like bunch of structures called alveoli or airsacs.

March 31, 2014

Previously, you have already learned about the essential parts of the breathing
system and their functions. Now, you will understand the mechanism and activities of
the lungs and the diaphragm.

Have you experienced being in a jam-packed train? You almost certainly could
not wait to get out where there are fewer people so you could freely move. This is
analogous to the process that makes air move in and out of your lungs. The air
molecules are either crowded outside and tend to get into the lungs where there are
fewer air molecules (inhalation), or they tend to get outside because they are too
crowded inside the lungs (exhalation). When you breathe in, your diaphragm muscle
contracts downward and rib muscles pull upward causing air to fill up the lungs. Can
you explain why? Well, when your diaphragm goes lower and ribs shift up, they provide
more breathing space in your chest. This also reduces the force on your lungs so the air
will move in from the outside. Breathing out is a reverse process. Your diaphragm
loosens up and the ribs and lungs thrust in, causing the gas to be exhaled.
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Activity 2
Bottled Balloons
Objectives:
 Explain how the lungs work
 Describe how the movement of the diaphragm helps the air go in and out
of the lungs

Materials:
1 two-liter empty plastic bottle 1 sturdy straw 1 pair of scissors
3 balloons (1 big, 2 small) 5 rubber bands
Procedure:
1. Using a pair of scissors, cut the bottom out of the 2-liter plastic bottle.
2. Create two holes that are apart from each other in the cap of the plastic bottle. Make
sure that each hole is just big enough for a straw to fit through.

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3. Stick the two straws through the two holes of the bottle cap.
4. Place one balloon on the end of each straw, and secure them with rubber bands, as
shown in the figure below.

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Figure 3. The two straws with the balloons are inserted into the plastic bottle cap.

5. Stick the balloon ends of the straws through the bottle opening and screw the lid on
tightly.
6. Stretch out the larger balloon and place it over the open bottom of the bottle. Secure
it with the rubber band as tightly as possible. Refer to the diagram of the finished lung
model below.

Figure 4. A constructed model of the human chest cavity

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5. Pull the larger balloon down; that is, away from the bottle, in order to blow up the two
small balloons.
6. Push the larger balloon towards the bottle in order to let the air out of the two small
balloons.
7. Write down your observations.

Guide Questions:
Q4. What does each part of the constructed lung model represent?
______________________________________________________________________

Q5. What happens as you pull down the balloon at the bottom of the model?
______________________________________________________________________

Q6. What happens as you push up the balloon?

______________________________________________________________________

Q7. How does the movement of the diaphragm cause the air to go in and out of the

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lungs?
______________________________________________________________________

Q8. What might happen if you prick the balloon?

______________________________________________________________________

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KEY CONCEPTS
When you breathe in, or inhale, the diaphragm muscle contracts. Inhaling moves
the diaphragm down and expands the chest cavity. Simultaneously, the ribs move up and
increase the size of the chest cavity. There is now more space and less air pressure inside
the lungs. Air pushes in from the outside where there is a higher air pressure. It pushes into
the lungs where there is a lower air pressure. When you breathe out, or exhale, the
diaphragm muscle relaxes. The diaphragm and ribs return to their original place. The chest
cavity returns to its original size. There is now less space and greater air pressure inside the
lungs. It pushes the air outside where there is lower air pressure.

Why do we believe that life is possible only on planets where oxygen is present?
Oxygen is necessary for life to exist. Without it, the cells in the body would not be able
to release the energy in food for power, and they would die within minutes. When you
inhale air, your respiratory system gets oxygen. When you exhale, carbon dioxide is
released. How do the respiratory and circulatory systems work together to carry out
their common purpose?
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Perform the next activity to learn more about the gas exchange that takes place in
the respiratory and circulatory systems.

Activity 3
Just Go with the Flow!
Objectives:
 Describe blood flow and gas exchange within the heart, circulatory system, and
lungs
 Explain the mechanism of how the respiratory and circulatory systems work
together

Materials:
Paper strips Rope or ribbon
Marking pen Chalk

Source:

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Glencoe/McGraw-Hill -
http://www.glencoe.com/sites/common_assets/health_fitness/gln_health_fitness_zone/pdf/heart
_rate_monitor_activities/the_heart/the_heart_activity_2.pdf

Procedure:

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1. Perform the activity with your group mates (7-8 persons).

2. Assign and label different areas in the outdoor setting as: lungs, left atrium, left
ventricle, arteries, capillary, veins, right ventricle, and right atrium.

3. Using the marking pen, write down the word oxygen on as many paper strips as
you can and place them in the lung area. The capillary area should have papers
with carbon dioxide written on them.

4. Use the chalk to mark and define the different areas such as what is given in the
diagram below. Assign some members of your group to stand still on the different
marked areas.
Lung Area

Right Atrium
HEART Left Atrium
Right Ventricle Left Ventricle
Veins Arteries
Capillary
Figure 5. Illustration of the gas exchange activity
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5. Choose two members from the group to take the trip around the different posts.
Let the partners start the tour in the lung area and together pick up a paper
labeled as oxygen from another member standing at his post. They should carry
the strip of paper to the heart, passing through the left atrium, and then to the left
ventricle. As the partners go to every station, they must leave a trail of rope or
ribbon held by another member in a designated area, until the path of the journey
is completely traced.

6. Partners must run along the chalk marks representing the arteries into the
capillary area.

7. Tell the partners to exchange the strip of paper representing oxygen for a piece
of paper representing carbon dioxide with a member in his designated area.

8. Make the partners run along the chalk marks representing the veins into the
heart area, first to the right ventricle, then to the right atrium.

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9. The partners must then run back into the lung area where the process begins
again. When there are no more strips of paper, the activity is over. The leader
may want to keep placing new papers into designated areas to keep the game
going on longer.

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10. After the activity, record your observations and answer the guide questions.

Guide Questions:
Q9. How do the heart and the lungs work together?
______________________________________________________________________

Q10. What takes place when you inhale and exhale?

______________________________________________________________________

Q11. What does blood deliver to every part of the body?

______________________________________________________________________

Q12. Why is oxygen important to your body?

______________________________________________________________________
Q13. How will you describe the sequence of oxygen, carbon dioxide, and blood flow in
your own words?
______________________________________________________________________