External Intercostal Muscles
Humans breathe and speak daily without a thought of what really goes into this one aspect of communication. Even though breathing and speaking may seem like a mindless process, there are a number of muscles, ligaments and body parts that go into the mechanisms that make life what it is.
In order to live and speak, we must be able to breathe. Respiration is the act of breathing. The act of drawing in a breath, or inspiration is the process of in-taking air. Air is taken in through the upper airways, which includes the nasal cavity, pharynx and larynx. The air then passes through the lower airways, which includes the trachea, primary bronchi and bronchial tree. The air then goes through the small bronchioles and alveoli within the lung tissue …show more content…
Oxygen, or air, enters the body through inspiration. Inspiration takes place through the contraction of the diaphragm and the internal and external intercostal muscles. The intercostal muscles originate at ribs 1-11 and insert at ribs 2-12. The intercostal muscles originate on the inner surface and inferior border from the tubercles of the rib posteriorly to the costocartilage anteriorly. The intercostal muscles are inserted at the rib immediately below the level of proximal attachment on its superior surface. The external intercostal muscles are found between the ribs. They originate at the lower border of the ribs and insert at the upper border of the ribs below. Ventrally they are bordered by the external thoracic fascia (Culbertson & Christensen, n.d.). In order to take a breath, the external intercostal muscles contract. This moves the ribcage up and out. The diaphragm moves down simultaneously as the ribcage moves up and out. This creates negative pressure in the thorax. The lungs are held in the thoracic wall by the pleural membranes. The pleural membranes expand outwards as the ribcage and diaphragm move. This creates negative pressure within the lungs, because of this, air rushes in through the upper and lower airways. (Culbertson & Christensen,
In order to live and speak, we must be able to breathe. Respiration is the act of breathing. The act of drawing in a breath, or inspiration is the process of in-taking air. Air is taken in through the upper airways, which includes the nasal cavity, pharynx and larynx. The air then passes through the lower airways, which includes the trachea, primary bronchi and bronchial tree. The air then goes through the small bronchioles and alveoli within the lung tissue …show more content…
Oxygen, or air, enters the body through inspiration. Inspiration takes place through the contraction of the diaphragm and the internal and external intercostal muscles. The intercostal muscles originate at ribs 1-11 and insert at ribs 2-12. The intercostal muscles originate on the inner surface and inferior border from the tubercles of the rib posteriorly to the costocartilage anteriorly. The intercostal muscles are inserted at the rib immediately below the level of proximal attachment on its superior surface. The external intercostal muscles are found between the ribs. They originate at the lower border of the ribs and insert at the upper border of the ribs below. Ventrally they are bordered by the external thoracic fascia (Culbertson & Christensen, n.d.). In order to take a breath, the external intercostal muscles contract. This moves the ribcage up and out. The diaphragm moves down simultaneously as the ribcage moves up and out. This creates negative pressure in the thorax. The lungs are held in the thoracic wall by the pleural membranes. The pleural membranes expand outwards as the ribcage and diaphragm move. This creates negative pressure within the lungs, because of this, air rushes in through the upper and lower airways. (Culbertson & Christensen,