The respiratory system allows the body to breathe and exchange oxygen and carbon dioxide. It includes the nose, mouth, throat, trachea, bronchi, and lungs. The lungs obtain oxygen from inhaled air and release carbon dioxide, and the trachea and bronchi form a passageway to distribute air to and from the lungs. During breathing, the diaphragm and rib cage work to inhale air down the trachea and into the lungs' alveoli where gas exchange with blood occurs through diffusion.