Besides providing a route for air, what does the conducting zone do to the air that enters it?
- It adds carbon dioxide to the air
- It warms and humidifies the air
- It exchanges gases with the blood
- It cools and dries the air
Show answer and solution
Correct answer: B. It warms and humidifies the air
1. The conducting zone has three named jobs: route the air, remove debris and pathogens, and warm and humidify the air.
2. Warming and humidifying is therefore the correct answer.
3. Cooling and drying is the exact opposite of what the airway does to inhaled air.
4. Gas exchange belongs to the respiratory zone, and carbon dioxide is added to alveolar air at the exchange surface, not along the conducting passages.
_Source: OpenStax Anatomy and Physiology (CC BY 4.0), Ch 22 "The Respiratory System", section 22.1 Organs and Structures of the Respiratory System_