respiratory pump

ABSTRACT

The pump consists of the chest wall, the respiratory muscles that displace it, the centers in the nervous system that control the muscles. The chest wall can be divided into three parts; the diaphragm, the rib cage with its musculature, and the abdomen with its musculature. Diaphragm's primary function is act of breathing, specially the inspiratory phase. The function of the diaphragm as a pump depends on the ability of the muscle fibers to shorten. In this article we discussed the function of diaphragm, its fiber types, innervation, contractile properties, length-tension relationships, and its blood supply