Gas Exchange Flashcards
Which gas diffuses OUT of the alveolus (high concentration) into the blood (low concentration)?
Oxygen
The lungs contain millions of air sacs. What are they called and what is their function?
Alveoli. Where has exchange happens.
Which gas diffuses out of the blood (high concentration) into the alveolus (low concentration) to be breathed out?
Carbon dioxide.
When the blood reaches body cells oxygen is released from the ….. ….. ……And diffuses into the …… …… .
When the blood reaches body cells oxygen is released from the red blood cells And diffuses into the body cells.
Carbon dioxide diffuses out of the ……. …… into the blood. It’s then carried back to the …….. .
Carbon dioxide diffuses out of the body cells into the blood. It’s then carried back to the lungs.
What does the huge number of microscopic alveoli give the lungs?
Enormous surface area.
What does the moist lining enable?
Gases to dissolve in it.
The alveoli have very thin walls - how does this help gas exchange?
The gas doesn’t have to diffuse to far.
Alveoli have a great blood supply, how does this help gas exchange?
Maintains a high concentration gradient.
Alveoli walls are permeable - how does this help gas exchange?
So gases can diffuse across easily.
How does smoking damage the walls inside the alveoli and what kind of disease can it cause?
Reduces the surface area for gas exchange and causes diseases like emphysema.
How does the tar in cigarettes damage the cilia in your lungs and trachea? What can this cause?
The cilia help to keep the trachea clear by sweeping mucus nick towards the mouth. When cilia are damaged you can get chest infections.
Tar irritates the bronchi and bronchioles, how does this cause problems and what disease/illnesses does it cause?
Encourages mucus to be produced. Causes smokers cough and chronic bronchitis.
The carbon dioxide in cigarette smoke reduces the amount of oxygen the blood can carry. What else can the carbon monoxide cause? Also what disease and blood problem owing to these causes?
Heart rate increases - increase in blood pressure. High blood pressure damaging the artery walks - blood clots. This increases the risk of coronary heart disease. (e.g. Heart attacks).
Tobacco smoke also contains carcinogens. Carcinogens have chemicals in them that lead to which disease?
Cancer.
