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BIOL 186 > Animal Respiration > Flashcards

Animal Respiration Flashcards

1
Q

Why is oxygen so valuable and used in respiration? (5 reasons)

A

1) Oxygen is stable and abundant. 2) The reduction of oxygen provides large free energy release per electron transfer. 3) Aerobic metabolism: 4x more energy per molecule of glucose oxidized than other pathways. 4) Oxygen can diffuse across membranes and bind heme moieties in proteins and facilitates oxygen delivery to systemic organs and mitochondria electron transfer. 5) electron acceptor in oxidation of carbon-based fuels

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2
Q

Animals require a large respiratory surface for gas exchange between..?

A

Cells and a respiratory medium.

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3
Q

What is Dalton’s Law of partial pressures?

A

Describes the partial pressure exerted by a particular gas in a mixture of gases.

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4
Q

How does gas exchange between cells and a respiratory medium in animals occur?

A

The animal requires a large respiratory surface (like lungs) and gases diffuse down pressure gradients by their difference in partial pressurse.

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5
Q

What are some differences between breathing in air vs water?

A

1) There is less oxygen in water than air in a given volume and/or pressure. 2) Water is x800 dense and x80 viscous than air making it more difficult to ventilate. 3) Oxygen solubility decreases with temperature and the concentration of the solute.

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6
Q

What are gills and their function?

A

Gills are outfoldings of the body that create a large surface area required for gas exchange. They can be external or internal.

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7
Q

How does the countercurrent exchange system apply to gills?

A

Blood flows in the opposite direction of water over gills, and blood is less saturated with oxygen than the water it meets so 80-90% of oxygen that is dissolved in water is removed as it passes over the gills.

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8
Q

How does respiration occur in insects?

A

There is a network of branching tubes inside an insect that supply oxygen directly to every cell. Spiracles are gated to minimize water loss. Air sacs are used for storage. Their respiratory and circulatory system are separate.

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9
Q

What are spiracles?

A

Small openings in insects that allow for the controlled entrance of air into the trachea.

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10
Q

What is positive pressure breathing?

A

A type of breathing that occurs in amphibians (not restricted to) that forces air down the trachea.

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11
Q

Describe the four steps of respiration in amphibians.

A

1) Air enters the pocket of the buccal cavity. 2) The glottis opens and the elastic recoil of the lungs and compression of chest reduces lung volume; air forced out of lungs and out of mouth. 3) Mouth and nares close, floor of buccal cavity rises and air is pushed into lungs. 4) Glottis closed and gas exchange occurs in lungs.

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12
Q

How many air sacs are present in avian species and what is their main function?

A

They have 8 to 9 air sacs tha tkeep air flowing through the lungs.

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13
Q

Describe the main characteristics of the avian respiration system.

A

Air passes in one direction. Respiration requires 2 cycles of inhalation and exhalation for passage of air through the entire system of lungs and air sacs. Highly efficient.

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14
Q

In the mammalian respiratory system, how is air ‘given’ to our lungs?

A

Via a system of branching ducts including the trachea, which splits into 2 bronchi and further into bronchioles.

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15
Q

What is the function of the nostrils in the mammalian respiratory system?

A

The nostrils filter, warm, humidify the air and sample it for odors.

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16
Q

What is the function of the pharynx?

A

The pharynx directs air to the lungs and the food to the stomach.

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17
Q

How is food stopped from entering the trachea?

A

Swallowing moves the larynx up and the epiglottis over the glottis in the pharynx to prevent food from entering the trachea.

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18
Q

How are sounds from our vocal chords made?

A

Exhaled air is passed over our vocal chords in the larynx.

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19
Q

How is the respiratory system cleaned?

A

Cilia and mucus line the epithelium of the air ducts which act as a ‘mucus elevator’ which moves particles up to the pharynx to be swallowed by the esophagus.

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20
Q

How does ventilation occur in mammals?

A

By negative pressure breathing.

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21
Q

How does negative pressure breathing occur?

A

It pulls air into the lungs and lung volume increases as the intercostal muscles and diaphragm contract.

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22
Q

What is the tidal volume?

A

Tidal volume is the volume of air inhaled with each breath.

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23
Q

What is vital capacity?

A

The maximum tidal volume.

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24
Q

What is residual volume?

A

The air remaining after exhaliation.

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25
In the lungs, where does gas (O2/CO2) exchange take place?
The in alveoli.
26
What are the alveoli?
They are air sacs in the lungs at the tip of the bronchides. They have a moist film of epithelium and are covered in capillaries to facilitate gas exchange.
27
Why are alveoli susceptible to contamination?
Because they lack cilia.
28
How does gas exchange occur in capillaries around alveoli?
Blood arriving in the lungs has low partial pressures of oxygen and high partial pressure of carbon dioxide compared to the alveoli. Oxygen diffuses into the blood and carbon dioxide diffuses into the air in the alveoli. Partial pressure gradients favour the diffusion of oxygen into IF and carbon dioxide into blood in tissue capillaries.
29
Oxygen is diffused down its partial pressure gradient. Describe its path from the lungs to the tissues.
Alveolar spaces --> lung capillaries --> systemic capillaries --> tissues
30
Carbon dioxide is diffused down its partial pressure gradient. Describe its path as waste from the tissues back to the lungs.
Tissues --> systemic capillaries --> lung capillaries --> alveolar spaces
31
What monitors oxygen and carbon dioxide concentrations in blood?
Sensors in the aorta and carotid arteries which signal breathing control centers that respond as needed. Additional modulation occurs in the pons.
32
What is the main breathing control centre?
The medulla oblongata in the brain.
33
What is neutral control breathing?
The sensors in the aorta and carotid arteries that signal breathing control centers while monitoring O2 and CO2 conc. levels.
34
What are respiratory pigments and their function?
Proteins that transport O2 and increase (a lot) the amount of oxygen that blood can carry.
35
What is hemocyanin and where can it be found?
A respiratory pigment found in arthropods and molluscs that uses copper as its oxygen binding component.
36
Where is hemoglobin found?
Vertebrates and some invertebrates.
37
How much oxygen can a singular hemoglobin molecule carry?
4 oxygen molecules.
38
What are hemoglobin molecules made of?
A single hemoglobin molecule is a dimer made up of four protein chains: two alpha, two beta subunits each with an attached ring-shaped heme group containing iron.
39
What is Kd?
The dissociation constant.
40
What is hemoglobin and its main function?
It is a protein in red blood cells that can carry up to four molecules of oxygen; facilitates transport of oxygen in red blood cells.
41
What is binding affinity?
the strength of binding of a single molecule to its ligand
42
What does high affinity ligand binding mean?
It means that a low concentration of the ligand is required to bind to maximally occupy a ligand-binding site and trigger a physiological response; 50% of the receptor, since it binds strongly.
43
What does low affinity ligand binding mean?
It means that a high concentration of the ligand is required to bind to maximally occupy a ligand-binding site and trigger a physiological response; 50% of the receptor, since it binds weakly.
44
What happens when the concentration of the ligand is increased?
The binding percent becomes more balanced.
45
Describe the characteristics of Hb in the tense (T) state.
Low affinity for O2, deoxygenated, compact, harder for O2 to bind, low cooperativity (one O2 binding does not help others bind)
45
What are the two states of Hemoglobin (Hb?)
Relaxed and tense
46
Describe the characteristics of Hb in the relaxed (R) state.
High affinity for O2, oxygenated form, open structure, easy for O2 to bind, high cooperativity (one O2 binding makes it easier for others to bind).
47
What is the O2-Hb dissociation curve?
It compares how the oxygen saturation of Hb changes in your tissues at different partial pressures of oxygen. A small change in the partial pressure of oxygen can result in a large change in oxygen saturation.
48
When are half the Hb molecules occupied with O2?
At P50. (partial pressure)
49
At the lungs, oxygenated blood leaves the alveoli and binds to Hb. Where is this on the curve?
At P100.
50
What happens to the Hb-O2 curve when you exercise?
When you exercise, a lot of O2 is unloaded to the tissues so the partial pressure and O2 conc is low.
51
What happens when oxygen is unloaded to the tissues?
Partial pressure decreases so the saturation decreases --> oxygen 'dissociates'
52
Where does oxygen load onto hemoglobin? Where does it unload?
Alveoli in lungs and unloads into tissues across the body.
53
What happens when the Hb-O2 curve shifts right (Bohr Shift?)
The y-axis decreases which means there is less o2 saturation on Hb. So O2 must be in the tissues. There is an increase in unloading oxygen to tissues.
54
What are some factors that shift the Hb-O2 curve to the right? (More O2 to tissues)
Increase in acidity (decrease in pH), temperature, altitude and 2-3 BPG.
55
What happens when the Hb-O2 curve shifts left?
The y-axis increase so there is more O2 saturation - O2 is leaving the tissues (tissues are left behind) and binding to Hb.
56
What are some factors that shift the Hb-O2 curve to the left? (Less O2 to tissues, more in Hb)
Decrease in acidity (increase in pH = basic), temperature, altitude, 2-3 BPG.
57
What is 2-3 BPG (bis-phosphoglycerate) and its function?
it is a product of glycolysis and binds to positively charged hole in beta-chains of deoxyhemoglobin (tense, T state = low affinity for O2 so curve shifts right & more O2 released into tissues) to increase the release of oxygen into tissues.
58
What is myoglobin?
Myoglobin is found in muscles and is a monomeric, non cooperative molecule that has a very high oxygen affinity that is used as an emergency store of O2. (High o2 saturation, very shifted left)
59
How is CO2 transported throughout the body?
Tissues produce CO2, moves to IF and then into blood where it binds to Hb and carried to lungs. Hb releases CO2 to alveoli and is exhaled as waste.

BIOL 186 (17 decks)

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