Sophie

25/10/19
Writing E04-2
Hummingbird vs Cat Respiratory System

A hummingbird can breathe up to five hundred times per minute, beating the cat by far.

Though the hummingbird is not a mammal and the cat is, both of their respiratory system are

similar. The respiratory system of both animals have the same purpose, a few parts in common,

but work differently.

The purpose of both the cat’s and hummingbird’s respiratory system is no more special

than others. The objective of a hummingbird’s respiratory system is to breathe, like all other

animals, including cats. The respiratory system serves it’s purpose by taking in oxygen, turning it

into blood for the body to use, and then the organism breathes carbon dioxide out. The process

then repeats. Most animals use this process, like hummingbirds and cats, but not all living

organisms take and change the oxygen the same way. Some animals have different organs that

are used in the respiratory system or different shapes and sizes of the organs. Having different

organ shape and size is an advantage because of how structure relates to function.

As mentioned before, various animals may have different organs, or shapes and sizes of

those organs. Though cats and hummingbird do have a few parts in common, the size and shape

of their organs is completely different, because their bodies as a whole, are very diverse, in terms

of size and shape. The main organs of the hummingbird’s respiratory system are their lungs and

air sacs. The two lungs exchange oxygen into blood for the body to use. In addition, it also has

nine air sacs which are used for ventilation. The cat’s respiratory system is made of the mouth

and nose, which are for taking in air. It also has something called the trachea, a long tube that

leads to the bronchi. The bronchi are two tubes that lead to the air sacs in the lungs, which are

called bronchioles. The size of the organs matter because If the hummingbird’s organs were as
big as the casts, they wouldn’t fit in their body. Also, animals like worms would need thinner

shaped lungs in order to have the organs fit. Though they both have lungs and air sacs, their

respiratory system works quite differently.

The hummingbird’s respiratory system works like most other birds. The air enters the

organism through the nostrils at the bottom of the beak, then enters the pair of identical lungs.

The lungs are connected to the air sacs, which were mentioned before. Pressure from the muscles

force air in and out of the air sacs when the hummingbird moves, which helps maximize the air

flow when the bird needs oxygen the most. However, the cat’s respiratory system works quite

differently. After the cat breathes the air in from the mouth or nose, the air travels down the

trachea. When the air travels to the end of the trachea, it enters the bronchi. After the brunch, the

air enters the smaller airways in the lungs called bronchioles. The bronchioles end where the air

passes through the alveoli. The alveoli are small air sacs that exchange oxygen for carbon

dioxide. As one can see, the way both respiratory systems work are quite different but both

exchange oxygen for carbon dioxide.

The respiratory system of both cats’ and dogs work slightly differently, it have the same

purpose and a few parts in common. A point that wasn’t mentioned in this essay is that bot

systems have a way to protect themselves if in any danger. It is incredible that both systems are

so similar, due to the large variety in size and shape.

 Works Cited

Rcip-Chin. “Internal Morphology.” Internal Morphology, Government of Canada,

Department of Canadian Heritage, Canadian Heritage Information Network,

http://www.virtualmuseum.ca/edu/ViewLoitLo.do;jsessionid=599F2C10F7FDFDC1D74415188

34EE899?method=preview&lang=EN&id=15758.

“HUMMINGBIRD INTERNAL ANATOMY & PHYSIOLOGY.” Operation Ruby

Throat, Macintosh , http://www.rubythroat.org/RTHUAnatomyMain.html.

Kuehn, Ned F. “Introduction to Lung and Airway Disorders of Cats - Cat Owners.”

Veterinary Manual, Merck and Co., https://www.msdvetmanual.com/cat-owners/lung-and-

airway-disorders-of-cats/introduction-to-lung-and-airway-disorders-of-cats

“Respiratory System of the Cat.” VetMed, https://www.vetmed.wsu.edu/outreach/Pet-

Health-Topics/categories/cat-and-dog-anatomy/respiratory-system-of-the-cat.