external respiration
- noun
- /ɪkˈstɜrnəl ˌrɛspəˈreɪʃən/
- Specialized
:
respiración externa
- The process of external respiration occurs in the lungs, allowing us to breathe in oxygen and expel carbon dioxide.
Examples
-
A combined program of research on blood circulation and external respiration in 230 subjects (various levels of amputation) was performed.
Academic text (1994) -
Responses of external respiration in subjects with upper limb amputation to ergometer exercise testing (M ± m)
Academic text (1994) -
The examination of external respiration was undertaken by spirography and pneumotachometry.
Academic text (1994) -
The doctor explained that external respiration is crucial for delivering oxygen to the bloodstream.
-
During the experiment, they measured external respiration to assess how well the subjects were breathing.
Synonyms
346
1.0
The act of taking air into the lungs and letting it out
35
3.4
Breathing in and out to take in oxygen and release carbon dioxide
5
3.7
The process of breathing air into the lungs and sending out carbon dioxide
Antonyms
- Specialized
Gases move between blood and the body's cells, giving oxygen and removing carbon dioxide
Surface Forms
Morphology
The meaning is compositionally derived from 'external' (outside) + 'respiration' (breathing), so a learner who knows both words can infer this refers to breathing that occurs at the body/organ level (e.g., lungs) rather than cellular respiration. This straightforward, science-based naming pattern is cross-linguistically common and follows regular English composition, making it transparent to learners who know the constituents.
Etymology
External respiration comes from a simple image: external means 'outside' and respiration means 'breathing'. It refers to the breathing that moves air between the outside and the lungs—bringing in oxygen and sending out carbon dioxide—so it means 'taking in oxygen and getting rid of carbon dioxide'.