Speech and Respiration The process of respiratio

Several anatomic features are employed for breathing. The physical breathing mechanism itself consists of the thorax's skeletal framework, the muscles of both the thorax and abdomen, the diaphragm, and the respiratory passages (Singh 55). The breathing cycle essentially involves active inhalation and passive exhalation. Among adults, the cycle occurs approximately 12 times per minute. The amount of air exchanged under conditions of normal breathing (i.e., the tidal volume), ranges between approximately 350 and 750 cubic centimeters (Zemlin 90). At rest, the pressure within the lungs, or alveolar pressure, is the same as atmospheric. During this phase of respiration, the primarily muscle of inhalation, the diaphragm, occurs as an inverted bowl. This bowl separates the torso's thoracic and abdominal cavities.

At the onset of inhalation, the diaphragm's posterior muscle fibers contract. This activity draws its central tendon downward and thus increases the thorax's vertical dimensions. The action is enhanced by the intercostal muscles. These thoracic muscles-- which occur between the ribs--evert the ribs, stiffen the intercostal spaces, and enlarge the thorax's anteroposterior and lateral dimensions (Zemlin 117-119). The in

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typically occur over a range of fundamental frequencies (Doust & Patrick 137). The processes occur in a manner which is both controlled and "preprogrammed (Singh 55)." Thus, for the most part, the production of speech augments the complexity inherent to normal respiration. As has already been noted, at the end of inhalation alveolar pressure is the same as atmospheric pressure. When the muscles of inhalation become inactive, passive relaxation pressure begins to build. As can be seen from figure 2-73, that pressure varies directly with the quantity of air in the lungs. At the end of a deep breath (i.e., 100% vital capacity), complete relaxation may generate an alveolar pressure of approximately 40 centimeters H2O. As a person exhales, this relaxation pressure diminishes rapidly. Regardless though, during the production of, for example, a prolonged or sustained neutral vowel (e.g., "e") sound alveolar pressures remain at constant levels (Zemlin 110-112). According to figure 2-76, the production of a sustained vowel sound requires a constant alveolar pressure of 6 centimeters H2O. This maintains a regular air-flow through the vocal folds, enabling them to vibrate uniformly. The phenomena occurs throughout an entire rang
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