What muscle is responsible for breathing?
Answer
The Diaphragm:
is a dome-shaped skeletal muscle located below the lungs and heart, separating the thoracic cavity from the abdominal cavity.
How it works during breathing:
Inhalation (breathing in):
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The diaphragm contracts.
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When it contracts, it moves downward and flattens.
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This increases the space in the chest cavity.
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The pressure inside the lungs decreases.
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Air flows into the lungs.
Exhalation (breathing out):
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The diaphragm relaxes.
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It moves upward back into a dome shape.
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The chest cavity gets smaller.
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Pressure inside the lungs increases.
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Air is pushed out of the lungs.