Gaseous exchange LO2

Question 1

What is gaseous exchange?

Answer 1

Gaseous exchange is a process that involves the exchange of oxygen and carbon dioxide between capillaries and alveoli

Question 2

What is the role and structure of the alveoli walls?

Answer 2

At the end of the tiniest bronchioles are the microscopic alveoli. They are arranged in clusters in the lungs.
- the exchange of oxygen and carbon dioxide takes place in the alveoli. The walls of the alveoli are very thin (one cell thick), and each alveoli is surrounded by capillaries through which gases are exchanged

Question 3

What is the structure of alveoli like?

Answer 3

The structure of the alveoli is like bunches of grapes, which increases their surface area to allow the maximum crossover, or diffusion, of the two gases back and forth to make the process very efficient.

Question 4

What does diffusion do to the alveoli?

Answer 4

Diffusion allows the oxygen to move out of the alveoli to the capillaries and into the bloodstream, and the carbon dioxide to move out of the capillaries into the alveoli and to the lungs to be exhaled.

Question 5

Diffusion gradients