Editing Rabbit (section)

===Respiratory system===
[[File:Dissected Rabbit Lungs.jpg|thumb|upright|Ventral view of dissected rabbit lungs with key structures labeled]]

The rabbit's nasal cavity lies dorsal to the oral cavity, and the two compartments are separated by the hard and soft palate.<ref name="Johnson-Delaney 2011" /> The nasal cavity itself is separated into a left and right side by a cartilage barrier, and it is covered in fine hairs that trap dust before it can enter the [[respiratory tract]].<ref name="Johnson-Delaney 2011" />{{sfn|Smith|Schenk|2019|page=73}} As the rabbit breathes, air flows in through the nostrils along the alar folds. From there, the air moves into the nasal cavity, also known as the [[Pharynx|nasopharynx]], down through the trachea, through the [[larynx]], and into the lungs.{{sfn|Smith|Schenk|2019|page=76}}<ref name="Jekl 2012">{{Cite journal|last=Jekl|first=Vladimi|date=2012|title=Approach to Rabbit Respiratory Disease|url=https://www.vin.com/apputil/content/defaultadv1.aspx?id=5328323&pid=11349&print=1|journal=WSAVA/FECAVA/BSAVA World Congress|quote=As obligate nasal breathers, rabbits with upper airway disease will attempt to breathe through their mouths, which prevents feeding and drinking and could be quickly fatal.}}</ref> The larynx functions as the rabbit's voice box, which enables it to produce a wide variety of sounds.{{sfn|Smith|Schenk|2019|page=73}} The trachea is a long tube embedded with cartilaginous rings that prevent the tube from collapsing as air moves in and out of the lungs. The trachea then splits into a left and right bronchus, which meet the lungs at a structure called the [[Root of the lung|hilum]]. From there, the bronchi split into progressively more narrow and numerous branches. The bronchi branch into bronchioles, into respiratory bronchioles, and ultimately terminate at the alveolar ducts. The branching that is typically found in rabbit lungs is a clear example of monopodial branching, in which smaller branches divide out laterally from a larger central branch.<ref name="Autifi 2015" />

The structure of the rabbit's nasal and oral cavities necessitates breathing through the nose. This is due to the fact that the epiglottis is fixed to the backmost portion of the soft palate.<ref name="Jekl 2012" /> Within the oral cavity, a layer of tissue sits over the opening of the glottis, which blocks airflow from the oral cavity to the trachea.<ref name="Johnson-Delaney 2011">{{Cite journal|last1=Johnson-Delaney|first1=Cathy A.|last2=Orosz|first2=Susan E.|year=2011|title=Rabbit Respiratory System: Clinical Anatomy, Physiology and Disease|journal=Veterinary Clinics of North America: Exotic Animal Practice|language=en|volume=14|issue=2|pages=257–266|doi=10.1016/j.cvex.2011.03.002|pmid=21601814}}</ref> The epiglottis functions to prevent the rabbit from aspirating on its food. Further, the presence of a soft and hard palate allow the rabbit to breathe through its nose while it feeds.{{sfn|Smith|Schenk|2019|page=76}}

[[File:Monopodial branching in Rabbit Lungs.jpg|thumb|Monopodial branching as seen in dissected rabbit lungs]]

Rabbits' lungs are divided into four lobes: the cranial, middle, caudal, and accessory lobes. The right lung is made up of all four lobes, while the left lung only has two: the cranial and caudal lobes.<ref name="Autifi 2015">{{Cite journal|last1=Autifi|first1=Mohamed Abdul Haye|last2=El-Banna|first2=Ahmed Kamal|last3=Ebaid|first3=Ashraf El- Sayed|date=2015|title=Morphological Study of Rabbit Lung, Bronchial Tree, and Pulmonary Vessels Using Corrosion Cast Technique|url=https://www.researchgate.net/publication/326010899|journal=Al-Azhar Assiut Medical Journal|volume=13|issue=3|pages=41–51}}</ref> To provide space for the heart, the left cranial lobe of the lungs is significantly smaller than that of the right.<ref name="Johnson-Delaney 2011" /> The diaphragm is a muscular structure that lies caudal to the lungs and contracts to facilitate respiration.<ref name="Johnson-Delaney 2011" /><ref name="Jekl 2012" />{{Anchor|title=Diet and eating habits|reason="Diet and eating habits" is the old section name, which was changed to "Digestion" on 24 February 2018 and then "Diet and digestion" on 8 July 2024}}