3. Gas Transport and Exchange Flashcards
What is Dalton’s Law?
Partial pressure of a gas mixture is equal to the sum of the partial pressures of gases in the mixture
What is Fick’s law?
Molecules diffuse from regions of high conc to regions of low conc at a rate proportional to the concentration gradient, the exchange surface area and the diffusion capacity of the gas, and inversely proportional to the thickness of the exchange surface
What is Henry’s Law?
At a constant temperature, the amount of a given gas that dissolves in a given type and volume of liquid is directly proportional to the partial pressure of that gas in equilibrium with that liquid
What is Boyle’s Law?
At a constant temperature, volume is inversely proportional to pressure
What is Charle’s Law?
At a constant pressure, volume is directly proportional to temperature
If the patient has a diffusion problem what must be done?
Oxygen therapy: Increase the oxygen given - essentially making the diffusion gradient steeper
With altitude what happens with the gases?
The pressure of the atmosphere decreases but the proportions of the gases remains the same
How many kPa of oxygen is in dry air?
21.3 kPa
From dry air through the conducting airways how does the air change?
There is a slight reduction in pO2 and increase in pH20
How many kPa of of oxygen is in the conducting airways?
20 kPa
How many kPa of H2O is in the conducting airways?
6.3 kPa
Why is there an increase in the kPa H2O?
Because dry air becomes warmed, humidified, slowed and mixed as it passes down the respiratory tree
How many kPa of oxygen is in the respiratory airways?
13.5 kPa - this is 100% saturation
What is the solubility of oxygen?
You can only dissolve 17 mL of oxygen in your body at 0.34 mL/dL
What is the human oxygen consumption at rest?
250 mL/min
What is the structure of haemoglobin?
Tetramer - 2 alpha and 2 beta chains, represented as HbA. Each chain has as a ferrous iron ion (Fe2+) which binds 1 molecule of O2.
What chains are in HbA2?
2 alpha and 2 delta chains
How many percent of haemoglobin does HbA2 make up?
2%
What chains are in foetal haemoglobin (HbF)?
2 alpha chains and 2 gamma chain
Describe the affinity to oxygen for haemoglobin?
Sigmoid shape - When there is no oxygen bound there is a low affinity. However when the first oxygen binds there is a conformational change increasing its affinity to oxygen.
When oxygen binds to haemoglobin how does the middle change?
It becomes a binding site for 2,3-DPG
What is 2,3-DPG a measure of?
It is reflective of metabolism. The more ATP produced the more 2,3-DPG produced
What is the function of 2,3-DPG?
It is used to squeeze out the oxygen - decreases haemoglobins affinity for oxygen.
Define allosteric
It will change shape depending on what is bound or not bound
Define cooperativity
It will change its shape and affinity based on how much oxygen is bound
What does a high partial pressure of oxygen mean?
It means more oxygen will be dissolved
What is shape of the oxygen dissociation curve?
sigmoid curve
What is the oxygen saturation of haemoglobin in alveolar PO2/pulmonary system?
It is effectively 100% across a big range of PO2
What is the oxygen saturation of haemoglobin in the tissues/systemic system?
In the tissues it can go from 76% to 7% saturated - high unloading capacity
Define P50
The partial pressure of oxygen when haemoglobin is 50% saturated
What is P50 good at estimating?
The shape of ODC