Drag it. Spin it. Breathe with it.
Rotate the full chest, zoom down to the individual alveoli, and click any part to see what it does. Then flip to the alveolus view to watch gas exchange happen at the capillary wall.
ALVEOLUS — AIR SIDE · O₂ DIFFUSES OUT · CO₂ DIFFUSES IN
From nose to alveolus.
Air travels through a branching tree of tubes before reaching the alveoli where gas exchange happens. Tap any row to open that part in the model.
Four moves and you've explored the system.
Everything runs locally in your browser — nothing to install, nothing uploaded, nothing stored.
Pick your view
Start with the full respiratory system for the big picture, then flip to the alveolus view to see gas exchange up close.
Spin, drag & zoom
Drag to rotate the chest, tilt by dragging up and down, and zoom until the individual alveoli and capillaries come into view.
Click any part
Every lobe, airway, muscle and alveolus opens a dossier: what it does, how it fits, and a quick fact. Tap the diaphragm or ribs to see breathing mechanics.
Animate breathing
Hit the BREATHE toggle to watch the diaphragm flatten and the ribs lift — the exact movements that pull air into your lungs.
Breathing, measured.
Your lungs process around 11,000 litres of air every day — these are the numbers behind that quiet miracle.
Surface area
Spread flat, the gas-exchange surface of your two lungs would cover a tennis court. All that area is packed into a space the size of your ribcage.
Tidal volume
A quiet breath moves about half a litre of air. Multiply by breaths per minute and you get roughly 6 litres of air per minute at rest.
Diffusion distance
The barrier between air and blood is less than a thousandth of a millimetre thick. Oxygen and carbon dioxide cross it in a fraction of a second.
Things people ask.
Everything about how the model behaves, how honest the drawing is, and what it saves (nothing).
Still stuck? Write to us — we read everything.
How do I use the interactive respiratory system model?+
Drag anywhere on the model to rotate the lungs and airways, scroll or pinch to zoom, and drag up or down to tilt it. Tap any lobe, airway or the diaphragm to open its card, then flip to the alveolus view to see gas exchange up close.
Is this respiratory system model to scale or scientifically exact?+
No. It's a stylized, idealized diagram built so every part is easy to see, click and tell apart. Real lungs are softer, more crowded and far more complex than any diagram can show.
What are the main parts of the respiratory system?+
Air enters through the nose and mouth, travels down the trachea, splits into two bronchi, then branches into smaller bronchioles that end in clusters of alveoli. The diaphragm and rib muscles power the whole thing.
How does gas exchange work in the alveoli?+
Each alveolus is wrapped in capillaries. Oxygen diffuses from the air into the blood, and carbon dioxide diffuses from the blood into the air. The barrier is less than a micrometre thick, so gases cross in a fraction of a second.
Why is the diaphragm important for breathing?+
When the diaphragm contracts it flattens, expanding the chest cavity. That drop in pressure pulls air into the lungs. When it relaxes, the chest springs back and air flows out. It's the main muscle of quiet breathing.
What does the breathing toggle do?+
It animates the diaphragm and ribs so you can watch the lungs inflate and deflate. Grab the model at any time to steer it yourself — the animation pauses while you're inspecting.
Does the tool save or upload anything?+
No. The model runs entirely in your browser. Nothing you click, rotate, or select is ever sent to a server, logged, or stored.
Can I use this on my phone or tablet?+
Yes. One finger rotates and tilts, pinching zooms, and tapping selects — so the whole model works the same with touch as it does with a mouse.
Is this interactive respiratory system model free to use?+
Yes, it's completely free with no account, no sign-up, and no limit on how much you explore.