Blood supply, gas exchange, ventilation + perfusion Flashcards
State the 2 circuations that occur at the lungs
Bronchial circulation (nutritive) Pulmonary circulation ( gas exchange)
Describe bronchial circulation ( nutritive)
- supplies oxygenated blood(horemones, nutrients) to airway SM, nerves + lung tissue.
- via bronchial arteries originating from systemic circulation
Describe pulmonary circulation ( gas exchange)
- Supplies deoxygenated blood to capillary network surrounding alveoli + returns oxygenated blood to the left atrium via the pulmonary vein.
- via L+R pulmonary arteries originating from right ventricle.
State the features of the rate of diffusion across the membrane
- directly proportional to the partial pressure gradient.
- directly proportional to gas solubility
- directly proportional to the available surface area
- inversely proportional to the thickness of the membrane
- most rapid over short distances.
Blood flow and ventilation at base of lungs
- blood flow is higher than ventilation because arterial pressure is higher than alveolar pressure, which compresses alveoli
Blood flow and ventilation at apex of lungs
blood flow is low because arterial pressure is less than alveolar pressure, which compresses arterioles.
When both ventilation and blood flow declines
Blood flow declines faster than ventilation, so BF>ventilation at the base and ventilation>BF at apex
What happens when ventilation decreases
Decreased ventilation will cause PCO2 to increase and PO2 to decrease+ the blood flowing past the alveoli doesn’t get oxygenated
-decreased tissue PO2 around underventilated alveoli constricts their arterioles, diverting bood to a better ventiated alveoli
Effect of increased PCO2
causes mild bronchodilation
What is a shunt?
- when the passageway of blood through areas of the lung is poorly ventiated.
- ventilation
What is alveolar dead space?
- Alveoli that is ventilated but not perfused
- Ventilation>perfusion
- caused by pulmonary embolism
What is physiological dead space?
alveolar DS + anatomical DS
What is PaO2?
-partial pressure of arterial blood and referss to O2 in soution in the plasma
What is PaO2 determined by?
O2 solubiity and the partial pressure of O2 in the gaseous phase that is driving O2 into solution
Is PP gradient the same as the concentration gradient? Explain your answer.
PP gradient is not equal to the concentration gradient due to the concentration gradient being dependent on the phase ( liquid/gaseous)
Do gases travel as gaseous/liquid phase in plasma?
Gases travel as liquid phase. If it travels in gaseous phase in the plasma, it will lead to bubbles in the blood > air embolism.
Solubility of O2 in plasma/H20
O2 has a low soubility in plasma/H2O
Describe the structure of HbA
Consists of 4 polypeptide subunits ( 2 alpha + 2 beta chains) each with an FE containing haeme group.