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Respiratory Systems in Fish vs. Dogs Both the dog and the fish have similar body systems, but function very dissimilar. A dog uses the normal flow of air in and out of its body as a way of breathing. A fish on the other hand, uses its gills as a main source of oxygen; without the gills, a fish could not function properly. Their respiratory system begins immediately after the puppy is born and takes its first breath (Inside the Human Body: The Respiratory System). A dog’s respiratory system is composed of several parts. The nares, or nostrils is where the inhaled air is exhaled. The nasal cavity, sinuses within the skull, pharynx or the back of the mouth, larynx otherwise known as a voice box, trachea or windpipe, bronchi, and the lungs. Similar to humans, dogs also have left and right lungs; these lungs are then further divided into lobes, or sections (Respiratory System). The lungs are plentiful of air pockets called alveoli. This is the place that the blood makes contact with each individual cell and oxygen is replaced with carbon dioxide. Alveoli are supplied by a massive arrangement of microscopic blood vessels known as capillaries. The alveoli allow used air to pursue the opposite path of new air. From there,