Free Biology Simulation

Explore the Respiratory System & Lung Ventilation

Change breathing rate, tidal volume, airway resistance and lung compliance, and watch the lungs and alveoli move air and exchange gas in real time.

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Free to use
No signup
Nothing to install
Runs in your browser

Free to use

No signup

Respiratory System & Lung Ventilation

Setting

Open the Respiratory System & Lung Ventilation

Illustration. Open the tool for the real thing.

See it in action

The Respiratory System & Lung Ventilation with sample data entered and the result showing.

Screenshot of the Respiratory System & Lung Ventilation with sample data entered: The Respiratory System & Lung Ventilation with sample data entered and the result showing. — Sample data entered into the Respiratory System & Lung Ventilation. Open the tool to try your own.

Explained

What is the Respiratory System & Lung Ventilation?

Change breathing rate, tidal volume, airway resistance and lung compliance, and watch the lungs and alveoli move air and exchange gas in real time. It runs in your browser, so a change to a setting or a drag on an object shows up at once.

Doctors read spirometry traces exactly like this one to diagnose asthma, COPD and other breathing conditions, and to track how well treatment is working.

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Key idea 1Key idea 2Key idea 3

3 steps to your result

Open the tool and follow along. Nothing to install.

In the Respiratory System & Lung Ventilation Simulator, use the controls to change Breathing rate, Tidal volume, Airway resistance, Lung compliance, Preset. The simulation reacts instantly.

In the Respiratory System & Lung Ventilation Simulator, press "Check my breathing", "Check compensation" to start, reset or change what is happening.

Change one setting at a time and watch which readout moves, then compare it with this idea: Minute ventilation = breathing rate × tidal volume.

What you get

Key idea 1

Minute ventilation = breathing rate × tidal volume.

Key idea 2

Airway resistance slows the exhale most, stretching the recovery back to resting volume.

Key idea 3

Alveoli exchange oxygen for carbon dioxide by diffusion, driven by the pressure difference across a thin membrane.

Experiment 1

Load the Exercise preset and watch minute ventilation rise.

Experiment 2

Load the Asthma attack preset and compare the lung-volume trace shape to resting breathing.

Experiment 3

Raise airway resistance alone and see the volume graph change shape even with the same tidal volume.

Used for

Pick one to see how it fits.

Use case

Biology learners

Biology students and teachers who want to explore living systems, populations and genetics interactively and safely.

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How it compares

A plain look at this tool next to the usual alternative.

	This simulation	Textbook diagram
Interactive	Drag, tap and change settings	Fixed picture
Install	Nothing to install	Not needed
Cost	Free to use	Depends on the book

Questions people ask

What is tidal volume?

The volume of air moved in or out of the lungs in one normal, quiet breath.

Why does an asthma attack make breathing feel harder?

Narrowed airways raise resistance, which slows airflow (especially breathing out) and can trap air in the lungs.

Is the Respiratory System & Lung Ventilation Simulator free to use?

Yes. The Respiratory System & Lung Ventilation Simulator is free, needs no signup or download and runs in your web browser. It is part of the Biology group of AZRS simulations.

Does the Respiratory System & Lung Ventilation Simulator work on a phone or tablet?

Yes. The Respiratory System & Lung Ventilation Simulator takes touch input as well as mouse input, so you can use its 5 adjustable settings with a finger. A larger screen makes the controls and graphs easier to read.

How do I use the Respiratory System & Lung Ventilation?

1. In the Respiratory System & Lung Ventilation Simulator, use the controls to change Breathing rate, Tidal volume, Airway resistance, Lung compliance, Preset. The simulation reacts instantly. 2. In the Respiratory System & Lung Ventilation Simulator, pick an option such as Resting, Exercise, Asthma attack to switch modes or load an example. 3. In the Respiratory System & Lung Ventilation Simulator, press "Check my breathing", "Check compensation" to start, reset or change what is happening. 4. Start with this experiment: Load the Exercise preset and watch minute ventilation rise. Drag any glowing handle, object or slider with your mouse or finger and the Respiratory System & Lung Ventilation Simulator responds in real time. 5. Change one setting at a time and watch which readout moves, then compare it with this idea: Minute ventilation = breathing rate × tidal volume.