Gas Exchange Flashcards
Describe how gas particles behave?
In a gas the particles are far apart and moving freely.
What are the holes in the lungs called?
Air sacs or alveoli.
What are the names of the very tiny blood vessels in the lungs, wrapped around the air sacs.
Capillaries
How big is the wall of the air sacs?
It is made of only one layer of very thin cells.
How big is the wall of the capillary?
It is also made of only one layer of very thin cells.
How close are the alveoli and capillary in the lungs?
They are very close together as the capillary is pressed tightly against the alveolus.
What is gas exchange?
Gas exchange is the exchange of gases that happen in the lungs. Inside the alveoli in the lungs the oxygen from the air diffuses into the blood while the carbon dioxide from the blood diffuses into the air.
Where does the blood in the capillary come from and according to this which gas will be in huge quantity in the blood?
The heart, but before reaching the heart it visited the organs in the body which contained respiring cells. Those cells took the oxygen from the blood and used it up, releasing CO2 as a waste product. Therefore, the blood will contain a small amount of oxygen and a lot of CO2.
Where does the air in the alveoli come from and according to this which gas will be in huge quantity in the air?
The air inside the air sac came from outside the body where the air contains a lot of oxygen and only a small amount of carbon dioxide. Therefore, the air will contain a small amount of CO2 and a lot of oxygen.
What separates the air and the blood in the lungs?
The air very close to the blood with just two layers of very thin cells separating them.
How does diffusion into the blood by oxygen happen in the lungs?
The oxygen particles in the air are a gas, so they are moving freely. They can easily move from the air, through the thin-walled cells and into the blood. This is called diffusion. The oxygen particles move from where there are a lot of them (in the air) to where there are fewer of them (in the blood).
What is diffusion?
Diffusion is the process by which molecules move from an area of higher concentration to an area of lower concentration, until equilibrium is reached.
What happens when the oxygen goes into the blood?
When the oxygen gets into the blood, it dissolves.
What happens after oxygen dissolves in the blood?
The oxygen goes into the red blood cells where it combines with haemoglobin.
How does diffusion into the air by carbon dioxide happen in the lungs?
There is a lot of carbon dioxide in the blood in the capillary, and only a small quantity in the air inside the air sac. So, the carbon dioxide diffuses into the air in the air sac.
What is done to increase the exchange of gases in the lungs?
To increase the exchange of gases in the lung, the alveoli are tiny and uncountable in number. This increases the surface area of the lungs making diffusion easier and faster.
Explain what the experiment of agar jelly with holes represents an analogy for?
It is and anology of the air sacs with the dye representing oxygen and the holes air sacs in the lungs.
Explain what the experiment of agar jelly with holes show?
It shows that gas exchange occurs better with a large surface area and that the volume of the air sacs doesn’t matter. A smaller volume of air sacs increases the surface area of the air sacs.
Is the experiment of agar jelly with holes a good analogy?
Yes, it demonstrates basic principles of diffusion.
No, it does not accurately represent the lungs, which have a highly specialized structure, including a large surface area for gas exchange (due to numerous alveoli), a thin respiratory membrane for efficient diffusion, and active processes such as ventilation (breathing) to maintain concentration gradients.
In the second experiment of comparing the carbon dioxide content of inspired and expired air using lime water, what happens to the first tube when you breath out?
Due to the air pressure the lime water moves up the glass tubing.
In the second experiment of comparing the carbon dioxide content of inspired and expired air using lime water, what happens to the second tube when you breath out?
Limewater gets cloudy indicating carbon dioxide and is filled with bubbles.
In the second experiment of comparing the carbon dioxide content of inspired and expired air using lime water, what happens to the first tube when you breath in?
It is filled with bubbles.
In the second experiment of comparing the carbon dioxide content of inspired and expired air using lime water, what happens to the second tube when you breath in?
Limewater gets sucked up the glass tubing.
What do you mean by inspired air?
Air you breath in.
