What is the function of the respiratory system?
The main function of the respiratory system is gas exchange. Carbon dioxide is carried to the lungs in erythrocytes and released, then the erythrocytes collect oxygen and deliver this essential gas to our bodies. The mucus in the respiratory system helps to protect it as well as to carry debris out of the respiratory tract, which is assisted by the movements of little hair like structures called cilia. Smoking causes the cilia to stop working and that is why smokers have coughs. It takes 28 days for the cilia to wake up and start working again after someone quits smoking. The cilia also help remove pollution. The main function of the respiratory system is to discard waste in the form of carbon dioxide and to take in oxygen.
