What are the primary organs responsible for respiration?

The primary organs responsible for respiration are the lungs. These organs are essential for the process of gas exchange—oxygen is inhaled into the lungs and absorbed into the bloodstream, while carbon dioxide is expelled from the body. The lungs are specifically designed to facilitate this exchange, with a vast surface area created by tiny air sacs called alveoli, where the actual gas exchange takes place.

While other options, like the trachea and bronchi, play important roles in the respiratory system by guiding air into the lungs, and the heart is crucial for circulating the oxygenated blood throughout the body, they are not directly responsible for the respiration process itself. The heart is primarily involved in the cardiovascular system, pumping blood rather than engaging in gas exchange. Thus, the role of the lungs as the primary organs of respiration is distinct and essential to understanding how breathing and respiration function in the human body.