Gaseous diffusion and transport Flashcards
what does FO2 mean
fractional concentration
what does PO2 mean
partial pressure
what does PB mean
barometric pressure
what does PIO2, FIO2 mean
inspired
what does PAO2, FAO2 mean
alveolar
what does PaO2, FaO2 mean
arterial
what does mmHg mean
common pressure unit
(0.133 kPa)
what is SI measured in
kPa
(7.5 mmHg)
What does Daltonβs Law state about partial pressures?
In a mixture of non-reacting gases, the total pressure exerted is equal to the sum of the partial pressures of the individual gases.
What are the components of barometric pressure PB?
- includes all inert gases
How is the partial pressure of oxygen calculated?
What is the fractional concentration of oxygen in dry air?
0.209 (21%).
What is the approximate barometric pressure at sea level?
PB β101kPa (760 mmHg).
What is the dry partial pressure of oxygen (PO2) at sea level?
21kPa (159 mmHg).
How does the fractional concentration of oxygen (πΉπ2 ) change with altitude?
remains unchanged at 0.209, regardless of altitude.
What is the approximate barometric pressure at the top of Mount Everest?
33 kPa (250 mmHg).
What happens to ππΌπ2 with increasing altitude?
How did climbers like Hillary and Tenzing compensate for low ππ΅ at high altitudes?
They used a high πΉπΌπ2 (fraction of inspired oxygen) to compensate for the low barometric pressure.
What is the formula for Henryβs Law?
How does the partial pressure of a gas above a liquid affect the gas dissolved in the liquid?
The higher the partial pressure, the more gas will dissolve in the liquid.
What happens if the pressure above a liquid is released?
Less gas will stay dissolved, and bubbles of gas will rise from the liquid.
What happens when a gas comes in contact with a pure liquid?
Some gas molecules collide with the liquidβs surface and dissolve. A dynamic equilibrium is established when the rate of gas dissolution equals the rate of gas escape into the gas phase.
What happens when the pressure of a gas above a liquid is increased?
The number of gas molecules per unit volume increases, leading to more collisions with the liquid surface and a higher rate of gas dissolution.
What happens to equilibrium when the gas pressure above a liquid increases?
A higher concentration of dissolved gas is achieved until a new dynamic equilibrium is established at the higher pressure.
What does the concentration of a dissolved gas in a solvent at a given pressure depend on?
The concentration of a dissolved gas in solvent at a given pressure, i.e. solubility, depends strongly on its physical properties.
What factors determine water vapour pressure (PH2O)?
Water vapour pressure depends on temperature and saturation.
How does temperature affect saturated water vapour pressure?
Saturated water vapour pressure increases as temperature increases.
What happens to air as it enters the lungs?
Air passes over moist surfaces in the lungs and becomes 100% saturated.
Why is the water vapour pressure in the lungs constant?
Alveolar air is maintained at a constant temperature of 37Β°C, resulting in a constant water vapour pressure of 6.3 kPa (47 mmHg).
What is ππΌπ2 (Partial pressure of inspired oxygen)?
Why is the ππ΄π2
(Partial pressure of alveolar oxygen) not measurable directly?
Because πΆπ2 diffuses into the alveolus to replace π2 diffusing into the pulmonary capillary.
What is the partial pressure of oxygen (ππ2) in atmospheric air?
21 kPa.
What is the ππ2 in the trachea during inspiration?
20 kPa
What is the ππ2 in alveolar gas?
13.5 kPa.
What is the partial pressure of carbon dioxide (ππΆπ2) in alveolar gas?
5.3 kPa.
What is the water vapour pressure in the trachea and alveoli?
6.3 kPa
How does the pulmonary capillary ππ2 change as blood flows through it?
Pulmonary capillary ππ2 rises to match alveolar ππ2 (13.5 kPa) about 1/3 of the way along the capillary.
which is higher, alveolar PO2 or blood PO2 entering the pulmonary capillary, what does this achieve
Alveolar PO2 is higher than the PO2 in the blood entering the pulmonary capillary. This partial pressure gradient drives diffusion of O2 through the large area of thin alveolar-capillary membrane.
In which direction does CO2 move across the alveolar-capillary exchange surface?
CO2 moves down its partial pressure gradient, from the pulmonary capillary blood to the alveolar air, from where CO2 is expelled to the atmosphere during expiration
How does the rate of CO2 diffusion compare to O2?
NB: CO2 diffuses at approx. 85% of the rate of O2 ( due to its higher molecular weight).
Why does CO2 diffuse faster despite its lower diffusion rate?
CO2 is 23 times more soluble in plasma (0.7 mL/L/mmHg) compared to O2 (0.03mL/L/mmHg).
How much faster does CO2 diffuse compared to O2 when solubility and diffusion rates are considered?
CO2 diffuses 20 times faster than O2 (23Γ 0.85).
Why does CO2 equilibrate rapidly across the alveolar-capillary surface?
Due to its high solubility, CO2 equilibrates rapidly despite having a lower partial pressure gradient.
What determines gas transfer between alveolar gas and pulmonary capillary blood?
Gas transfer is determined by the partial pressure gradient, not the concentration gradient (e.g., ml/L or mmol/L).
What determines gas transfer between alveolar gas and pulmonary capillary blood?
Gas transfer is determined by the partial pressure gradient, not the concentration gradient (e.g., ml/L or mmol/L).
How does gas move in terms of partial pressure gradients?
Gas moves down a partial pressure gradient from high to low partial pressure (πgas) until a new dynamic equilibrium is reached.
How do O2 and CO2 diffuse in a normal lung?
A normal lung has more than adequate diffusion reserve, allowing O2 and CO2 to diffuse rapidly down their partial pressure gradients.
When does diffusion limitation occur?
Diffusion limitation occurs if alveolar-capillary units are disrupted by respiratory disease, especially when pulmonary blood flow increases (e.g., during exercise).
What factors affect the rate of gas diffusion across a membrane?
what drives diffusion across the alveolar-capillary membrane?
How is the rate of gas transfer calculated?
how to work out constant of proportionality
the oxygen diffusing capacity of the lungs, representing the ability of oxygen to transfer from the alveoli to the blood.
What is the equation for the rate of oxygen transfer?
It measures the carbon monoxide diffusing capacity of the lungs, representing the transfer of CO from the alveoli to the blood.
Why can pulmonary capillary
PπΆπΆπ be assumed to be zero?
Because CO is rapidly bound by haemoglobin as it crosses the alveolar-capillary membrane, leaving negligible free CO in the blood.
How does haemoglobinβs affinity for CO compare to oxygen?
Haemoglobin has approximately 240 times the affinity for CO compared to oxygen.
How is π·πΏπΆπ clinically measured?
A patient inhales a breath containing a very low concentration of CO and a tracer gas. The composition of the exhaled gas is then analyzed.
What is another term for π·πΏπΆπ?
what 3 factors reduce π·πΏπΆπ
- reduction in alveolar capillary membrane
- increased thickness of alveolar capillary membrane
- anaemia
What 3 things causes a reduction in alveolar-capillary membrane area, leading to decreased π·πΏπΆπ?
emphysema
pulmonary emboli
lung resection.
How does increased alveolar-capillary membrane thickness affect π·πΏπΆπ
Increased thickness, as in pulmonary oedema or pulmonary fibrosis, reduces diffusion due to:
- Thickened membrane.
- Reduced membrane area caused by smaller lung volume.
what 2 things can increase π·πΏπΆπ
Increased pulmonary blood volume, as occurs in⨠exercise (increases the effective area)
polycythaemia
What is the minimum ππ2 needed by mitochondria in tissues?
What is the ππ2 gradient from the capillaries to the tissues?
β5.3kPa.
What happens if capillary ππ2 becomes too low?
Diffusion becomes too slow to meet tissue needs, resulting in tissue hypoxia.
At the site of production, i.e., mitochondria.