Skip to main content

Overview of the Respiratory System

  • Chapter
  • First Online:
Cardio-Respiratory Control in Vertebrates
  • 1178 Accesses

Abstract

This monograph comprises a diverse collection of chapters dealing with gas exchange, circulation, and metabolism in species ranging from fish to man. As you read the chapters, the unifying theme that emerges is one that was proposed 18 years ago by Weibel et al. (1991), i.e., the hypothesis of symorphosis.

The concept that animals, and humans as well, should be designed economically (i.e., that structural design should be matched to functional demand) follows from common sense, but it is also supported by many observations

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this chapter

Chapter
USD 29.95
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
eBook
USD 169.00
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as EPUB and PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
Softcover Book
USD 219.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Compact, lightweight edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info
Hardcover Book
USD 219.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Durable hardcover edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info

Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout

Purchases are for personal use only

Institutional subscriptions

References

  • Andersen P (1975) Capillary density in skeletal muscle of man. Acta Physiol Scand 95:203-205

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Ekblom B (1969) Effect of physical training on oxygen transport system in man. Acta Physiol Scand Suppl 328:1-45

    Google Scholar 

  • Frappell PB, Léon-Velarde F, Maria Rivera-Ch (2007) Oxygen transport at high altitude — an integrated perspective. Respir Physiol Neurobiol 158:115-120

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Holloszy JO, Booth FW (1976) Biochemical adaptations to endurance exercise in muscle. Annu Rev Physiol 38:273-291

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Kuper M, Soni NC (2003) Oxygen transfer: cascade or whirlpool? Curr Anesth Crit Care 14(2):58-65

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Monge-Medrano C, Encinas C, Heraud EC, Hurtado A (1928) La enfermedad de los Andes (sindromes eritrémicos). Anales de la facultad de medicina. Lima 23:1-314

    Google Scholar 

  • Weibel ER, Taylor CR, Hoppeler H (1991) The concept of symmorphosis: a testable hypothesis of structure-function relationship. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 88:10357-10361

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • West JB, Hackett PH, Maret KH, Milledge JS, Peters RMJr, Pizzo CJ, Winslow RM (1983) Pulmonary gas exchange on the summit of Mount Everest. J Appl Physiol 55(3):678-687

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Wood SC(1991)Interactions between hypoxia and hypothermia. Annu Rev Physiol 53:71-85

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Corresponding author

Correspondence to S.C. Wood .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

Copyright information

© 2009 Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg

About this chapter

Cite this chapter

Wood, S. (2009). Overview of the Respiratory System. In: Glass, M., Wood, S. (eds) Cardio-Respiratory Control in Vertebrates. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-540-93985-6_1

Download citation

Publish with us

Policies and ethics