How to Differentiate Between Breathing & Respiration

Breathe in and out slowly.

You breathe in and out constantly throughout the day without even thinking about it--it's an automatic response that keeps you alive. Breathing is when your nose takes in oxygen and expels it as carbon dioxide; respiration is when your body breaks down the oxygen so that your body's cells can use it. Breathing is a physical process, while respiration is a chemical process.

Things You'll Need

• Stethoscope

Instructions

1. Use a stethoscope to listen to someone breathe air in and out of their nose. You will hear their lungs taking in the air, and you will hear their nose blowing it out.

2. Place your hand on your diaphragm (area right under your breasts and at the top of your rib cage). As you breathe in and out, you can feel your diaphragm expand and contract.

3. Notice a person's skin color, which should not be blue. If the skin is blue, then the body is lacking in oxygen and cannot perform respiration. Respiration enables the body to be active and healthy, because it utilizes the air you inhale when you breathe.

4. Check the person's respiration rate. This is the number of breaths a person takes during 1 minute while at rest. An average adult takes approximately 12 to 25 breaths per minute. When a person has a fever or is ill, the respiration may be higher, because the body is in need of more oxygen. With more oxygen, the body can perform respiration more often and break down the oxygen so the blood can carry it to cells that are in need.

Tips & Warnings

• Remember that breathing is done by an external body part (the nose) and respiration is done by internal organs and systems (lungs, blood, heart, etc.).

• If someone isn't breathing, their body can't perform respiration due to lack of oxygen, which can make them weak as well as endanger their life.