ademinspiratie

Ademinspiratie refers to the inhalation phase of breathing, the act of drawing air into the lungs. The term is constructed from adem (breath) and inspiratie or inspiratie (inspiration). In physiological and medical contexts, ademinspiratie denotes the part of the respiratory cycle during which air enters the airways, in contrast with expiratie, the exhalation phase.

During ademinspiratie, the diaphragm contracts and moves downward, the external intercostal muscles raise the ribs, and the thoracic cavity expands. This expansion lowers intrapulmonary pressure below atmospheric pressure, allowing air to flow into the lungs until pressures equalize. In healthy individuals, ademinspiratie is primarily automatic but can be influenced by voluntary control through breathing techniques.

Clinical relevance: The term appears in physiology teaching to describe the breathing cycle and is connected with measurements such as inspiratory capacity and inspiratory reserve volume. Impairments in inspiratory effort or muscle strength can affect ademinspiratie and are assessed in pulmonary function testing.

Relation to language: The word inspiratie also means motivation or inspiration in Dutch, which can create ambiguity outside scientific contexts. In science and medicine, ademinspiratie is used specifically to denote the inhalation phase of breathing.

See also: respiration, inhalation, inspiratory reserve, tidal volume, vital capacity.