lungs
Respiratory tree: terminates in alveolus, alveoli. Respiratory bronchioles branch into alveolar ducts and into alveoli. Alveolus: microscopic air sacs, 300 million of these in human lungs. Total surface area large. Gas diffuses micrometer, very tiny distance. Nervous System Composed of tissues designed to integrate sensory information and direct a coordinated response to the environment. Basic unit of the nervous system is the neuron1 , a highly specialized cell that uses both electrical and chemical processes to communicate. Neurons "listen" to sensory organs or other neurons, and can simultaneously "hear" from 1 to hundreds of inputs simultaneously. Likewise, a neuron can "talk" to other neurons or cells that can create an action, like muscle cells or glands. Neurons are outnumbered in the nervous system by glia. Glia were once thought to only play a supportive role in helping neurons survive; today we know that they also are important participants in the communication process. Glial cells include astrocytes, ependymal cells, and a cell that has a macrophage like function. There are also oligodendocytes and Schwann cells that provide a myelin sheath.