What will happen to your diaphragm and chest cavity as you inhale and exhale?

Answer 1

The lung expands when it gets full of air , so the chest needs to do the same ,because if it didn't the lungs wouldn't fit in there when they get full , and that would be a terrible mistake of our body.

Answer 2

• When you breathe in, or inhale:
  • your diaphragm contracts (tightens) and moves downward.
  • This increases the space in your chest cavity, into which your lungs expand.
  • The inter-costal muscles between your ribs also help enlarge the chest cavity. They contract to pull your rib cage both upward and outward when you inhale.
  • As your lungs expand, air is sucked in through your nose or mouth.
  • The air travels down your windpipe and into your lungs.
• When you breathe out, or exhale:
  • your diaphragm relaxes and moves upward into the chest cavity.
  • The intercostal muscles between the ribs also relax to reduce the space in the chest cavity.
  • As the space in the chest cavity gets smaller, air rich in carbon dioxide is forced out of your lungs and windpipe, and then out of your nose or mouth.

Answer 3

The tempting answer would be that the chest cavity grows in volume/capacity with inhalation and then decreases in volume/capacity with exhalation. But there is a slight argument over semantics and chronology to be made. The question and answer, as it is, makes an implication that the changes in volume are a result/effect of inhalation and exhalation. But it is, in fact, the opposite.

The diaphragm lowers and pushes down on the digestive organs while the rib cage shortens and pushes out. These actions increase the volume of the thoracic (chest) cavity, where the lungs are. If you have taken a Chemistry course, then you will remember the ideal gas laws regarding volume and pressure. If you increase the volume of a space (thoracic cavity) while keeping the amount of air in this contained space (lungs) constant, then there will be negative pressure. This lack of pressure in the lungs and higher ambient pressure causes air to rush into the lungs, completing inhalation.

As you can see, the chest cavity increases in volume before inhalation. The same principles work in the opposite direction during exhalation.

Answer 4

the lower air pressure in the lungs causes air to rush into the lungs.

Answer 5

As you breath in you take air into your lungs and your chest expands, so to answer your question 'Your chest gets bigger'

Answer 6

Its just expand

Answer 7

Normally it increases.