Find clinic locations for Fort HealthCare and affiliated clinics and services in Jefferson County, Wisconsin.
Find services offered by Fort HealthCare and affiliated clinics in Jefferson County, Wisconsin.
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We coordinate community education and health-related events and screenings for the Fort HealthCare service area.
Respiration is the act of breathing in and out. When you breathe in, you take in oxygen. When you breathe out, you give off carbon dioxide.
The respiratory system is made up of the organs and structures that take part in gas exchange:
The upper respiratory tract includes the:
The lower respiratory tract includes the:
The lungs take in oxygen. The body's cells need oxygen to live and carry out their normal functions. They also get rid of carbon dioxide. This is a waste product of the cells.
The lungs are two cone-shaped organs. They're made up of spongy, pinkish-gray tissue. They take up most of the space in the chest, or the thorax (the part of the body between the base of the neck and diaphragm). They're inside a membrane called the pleura.
The lungs are separated by an area (mediastinum) that has:
The right lung has three lobes. The left lung has two lobes. When you breathe, the air:
An important part of a baby's lung development is the production of surfactant. This is a substance made by the cells in the small airways. By about 35 weeks of pregnancy, most babies have developed enough surfactant. It's normally released into the lung tissues. There it helps to keep the air sacs open. Premature babies may not have enough surfactant in their lungs. They may have trouble breathing.