Question

The respiratory system ________.

a. provides body tissues with oxygen

b. provides body tissues with oxygen and carbon dioxide

c. establishes how many breaths are taken per minute

d. provides the body with carbon dioxide

Short answer

The correct answer is (a) provides body tissues with oxygen

The respiratory system provides body tissues with oxygen.

Step-by-step solution

Step 1. Introduction 

• The respiratory system is the network of organs and tissues that help to breathe. It includes airways, lungs and blood vessels. The muscles that power your lungs are also part of the respiratory system. These parts work together to move oxygen throughout the body and clean out waste gases like carbon dioxide.

Step 2. Explanation for correct answer  

(a) provides body tissues with oxygen

The primary function of the respiratory system is to deliver oxygen to the cells of the body's tissues and remove carbon dioxide, a cell waste product. The main structures of the human respiratory system are the nasal cavity, the trachea, and lungs.

Step 3. Explanation for the incorrect answer   

b. provides body tissues with oxygen and carbon dioxide

• The lungs and respiratory system allow us to breathe. They bring oxygen into our bodies (called inspiration, or inhalation) and send carbon dioxide out (called expiration, or exhalation).

c. establishes how many breaths are taken per minute

• Respiratory rate, one of the main vital signs of the human body, is the number of breaths taken per minute. The normal respiratory rate for adults is 12 to 20 breaths per minute.

d. provides the body with carbon dioxide

• The respiratory system provides body tissues with oxygen. Not with carbon dioxide. Hence this option is not correct.