Gas Exchange Flashcards
How does air pass into the lungs?
Through a tube called the trachea.
What prevent the trachea from collapsing during inhalation?
Rings of cartilage
Where does the air go after the trachea?
The air goes in two smaller tubes with have splitof from the trachea, whith one passing to each lung.
Where does the air go after the bronchi?
The bronchi subdivide into many smaller tubes called bronchioles.
Where does the air go after the bronchioles?
To the alveoli which are air sacs at the end of the bronchioles.
What happens at the alveoli?
This is where gases diffuse in and out of the bloodstream or the site of gas exchange.
What are some of the adaptations of alveoli?
- There are millions of them, which means that the lungs have a huge surface area.
- They have very thin walls, so the diffusion part is very short.
- The alveoli have a rich supply of blood capillieries, which maintains a concentration gradient in both directions.
How do we increase the rate of diffusion?
By breathing. Breathing brings fresh oxygen into the alveoli and takes away the carbon dioxide.
What is the thorax?
It is the top part of your body.
What separates the lower part of your body from the upper part?
The diaphragm
What protect the lungs?
The ribcage.
