Gas Laws Flashcards
As the respiratory system goes, so goes…
COMMUNICATION
Respiration or Breathing - primary function
The process by which air is taken into the lungs, and then expelled out of the lungs, by expansion and contraction of the thoracic cavity
Inspiration - inhalation
expiration - exhalation
Rest Breathing
Occurs when there is no other activity going on. e.g. sitting on the couch, watching tv, etc.
During rest breathing, INHALATION is an ACTIVE PROCESS (muscles contract) that involves many muscles, while EXHALATION is a PASSIVE PROCESS (muscles do not contract)
Speech Breathing
When speech is overlaid on the respiratory system, breathing changes
When breathing to produce speech, the EXHALATION process becomes ACTIVE and somewhat complicated
Exhalation for speech production requires a carefully-controlled air flow
Medulla oblongata
A respiratry center (Medulla Oblongata in the brain stem) controls breathing
This center sends ongoing signals down your spine and to the muscles of inhalation and exhalation
To a limited degree, you can change your breathing rate, such as breathing faster or holding your breath
Role of emotions on respiration
Being scared or angry affects breathing
Will change depending on how active you are and the condition of the air around you
e.g. breathe more frequently when engaged in physical activity
Toxins and respiration
Your body needs to restrict how much air you breathe when the air contains irritants or toxins
Some conditions - disease, trauma, congenital disorders - can also affect respiratory patterns
CP and Respiration
Children who have Cerebral Palsy (CP) may have a great deal of difficulty in coordinating the muscles in the mouth, lips, and tongue that are needed for speech production
They may also have difficulty coordinating breathing with the onset of speaking - they may sound breathy or strained/harsh
Stroke and Respiration
People who have had stroke may also have their respiratory support for speech production affected. A stroke may weaken the muscles of the mouth, lips, tongue
2 laws of physics explaining breathing
These laws describe how a gas - in this case, air that we breathe in and out - behaves
Boyle’s Law
Newton’s 3rd law of motion
Respiration and Physics
Think of air and gas
2 properties of a gas:
PRESSURE is the FORCE that is exerted by a gas against the walls of a container. In this case, the container is the lungs
VOLUME is the quantity or amount of gas that is present in the lungs
Boyle’s Law
States that the PRESSURE of a gas is INVERSELY related to its VOLUME when temperature and amount are held constant
aka as volume decreases (exhalation), then pressure increases
When you INHALE, you INCREASE the volume of the air in your lungs. As this volumed increases, the pressure in your lungs will DECREASE or go down.
When you EXHALE, you DECREASE the volume of air in your lungs. As this volume decreases, the pressure in your lungs will increase or go up.
Newton’s 3rd Law of Motion
States that an unbalanced force acting on a body will cause an acceleration
In breathing, this unbalanced force is the difference in air pressure between air in the lungs and air outside of the body
This law states air will flow from a region of HIGH PRESSURE to a region of LOWER pressure
This is what makes air move in (during inhalation) and out (during exhalation) of the lungs.
For every action, there is an equal and opposite reaction - in this law, action and reaction are KEY terms.
Gas Laws: Inhalation
During inhalation
- The lungs expand due to muscular forces
- The pressure in the lungs decreases (Boyle’s law)
- Air flows from outside the body, where pressure is higher, towards the lower pressure that is in the lungs (Newton’s 3rd Law)
Gas Laws: Exhalation
During Exhalation:
- Lung volume decreases due to passive forces
- Pressure within the lungs increases (Boyle’s Law)
- Air flows from the higher pressure in the lungs to the outside, where pressure is lower (Newton)
Respiration is dependent upon 3 other FORCES
Torque
Elasticity
Gravity
Torque
The force that will act upon a structure until it rotates
During inhalation, the cartilage of the ribs (this is where the ribs articulate or join up with the sternum) is torqued until the ribs rotate anteriorly, superiorly, and laterally
This torquing allows the thoracic cavity (your chest) to move so that the lungs can expand and fill with air
Elasticity
Refers to the ability of a structure to return to its normal shape after it has been stretched or compressed
Tells you what the lungs do during breathing - they stretch during inhalation and then they compress, returning to their original shape, during exhalation
Gravity
The force that pulls structures back toward earth
During exhalation, gravity works to pull the lungs back to their original shape in the thoracic or chest cavity
Respiratory system when laying on your back
Respiratory system has to work harder to perform when you are laying on your back or belly, compared to when you are upright (sitting or standing) with your back at a 90-degree angle (good posture)
