Difference Between Ventilation and Respiration

Ventilation vs Respiration

The respiratory and cardiovascular systems work together to ensure a constant supply of essential oxygen to every cell in the body and also the removal of carbon dioxide and other waste products from every cell. Both ventilation and respiration processes come under the respiratory system associated with the lungs and are essential for a continual life.

Ventilation

Ventilation is the movement of air into and out of the lungs. This is an essential process for oxygenation and respiration processes to occur. The absence of the ventilation for 4 to 6 minutes can cause virulent brain damages and may result in death. The ventilation has two main phases; inspiration and expiration (also known as inhale and exhale). Inspiration is the process of moving air into the lungs whereas expiration is the process of moving air out of the lungs. These two processes take place one after another, thus making one ventilation cycle consist of one inspiration event and one expiration event. The volume of air, which is exchanged in one ventilation cycle, is referred to as ‘ventilatory volume’ or ‘tidal volume’ while the number of the ventilation cycles taking place within a unit time is known as ‘ventilation rate’. These two variables depend on the level of activity and the physiological oxygen demand of an individual. Additionally, the ventilation is influenced by three basic mechanisms; namely, neural, chemical and mechanical.

Respiration

Respiration is the process of exchanging gases, mainly, oxygen and carbon dioxide. The gas concentration gradient helps to exchange the gases across the respiratory surfaces through the process of diffusion. In the body, the diffusion of the gases occurs very rapidly due to the short distance between diffusion tissues. In mammals, there are two types of respirations existent; namely, internal respiration and external respiration.

Internal respiration is the exchange of oxygen and carbon dioxide between the systemic circulatory system and the cells of the body. This process provides oxygen into the cells from the blood and removes carbon dioxide from the cells.

External respiration is the exchange of oxygen and carbon dioxide between the blood and fresh air and this occurs in between the alveoli of the lungs and the capillaries of the pulmonary circulatory system. External respiration is important, mainly to oxygenate the blood and to remove carbon dioxide from the blood.

What is the difference between Ventilation and Respiration?

• Ventilation facilitates the process of respiration. Without ventilation, respiration cannot occur.

• The ventilation is the movement of air into and out of the lungs whereas the respiration is the exchange of oxygen and carbon dioxide.

• The ventilation mainly involves the lungs while the respiration mainly involves the respiratory surfaces, including alveoli and blood capillary walls.

• Unlike in the respiration, two phases are involved in the ventilation; inspiration and expiration.

• In the process of the ventilation, the inhaled air has many gases, but in the respiration, it exchanges mainly oxygen and carbon dioxide.