Lesson 11 of 17
How the chest moves
Show on a big screenPut a hand on your chest and breathe in. Your chest moves.
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The idea
The diaphragm is a curved sheet of muscle under the lungs.
Step 1 of 3
- The chest at rest. The diaphragm curves up like a dome.
- Breathing in: the diaphragm moves down. The ribs move up and out.
- Breathing out: the diaphragm moves up. The ribs move down and in.
To breathe in, the diaphragm moves down. The ribs move up and out. To breathe out, both move back.
This changes the space inside the chest. When the chest is bigger, air flows in. When the chest is smaller, air flows out.
Try the lab to finish this lesson.