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The nose, nasal cavity and sinuses are the first few components of the respiratory system, which allows the body to exchange gases between air and the blood. The respiratory system is also made up of the following:

• Pharynx. The passageway at the back of the throat. Air travels through the nose and nasal cavity and down the pharynx.
  
  
• Larynx (voice box). Air passes from the pharynx through the larynx, located at the upper end of the windpipe.
  
  
• Trachea (windpipe). A long tube featuring a series of “C”-shaped rings of cartilage that begins at the larynx and then splits into the bronchial tubes that lead to the lungs.
  
  
• Bronchi (bronchial tubes). A pair of tubes that branch off from the trachea, each leading to a lung. Like an upside-down tree, air passageways begin with the trunk (trachea) and divide into large branches (bronchi).
  
  
• Lungs. Two spongy, connected organs in the chest that are responsible for the exchange of oxygen and carbon dioxide between air and blood.