Facts about the Diaphragm

1. 09

   Rhythmic contractions of the diaphragm at a rate of 12 to 20 times per minute in resting adults regulate the flow of air into the lungs during normal breathing.

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2. 08

   Paralysis of the diaphragm from phrenic nerve damage causes the affected lung to collapse upward toward the shoulder in a condition called eventration.

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3. 07

   Childbirth requires the diaphragm to work in coordination with abdominal muscles, generating intra-abdominal pressure that can exceed 100 millimeters of mercury during labor contractions.

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4. 06

   In people with spinal cord injuries above C3, mechanical ventilators must artificially inflate the lungs since the phrenic nerve cannot transmit signals from the brain to the diaphragm.

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5. 05

   Averaging 0.75 square meters in surface area, the diaphragm is the largest skeletal muscle in the human body relative to its functional importance in respiration.

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6. 04

   Innervation of the diaphragm occurs exclusively through the phrenic nerve, which originates from cervical spinal nerves C3, C4, and C5.

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7. 03

   Hiccups occur when the diaphragm involuntarily contracts at intervals of 35 milliseconds, a reflex that serves no known physiological purpose in modern humans.

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8. 02

   The diaphragm is responsible for approximately 70 percent of the work during quiet breathing, with intercostal muscles providing the remaining 30 percent.

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9. 01

   During a single breath, your diaphragm contracts and moves approximately 1 to 2 centimeters downward to inflate the lungs.

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