Life 49- Gas Exchange Flashcards
Trachea
A tube that carries air to the bronchi of the lungs of vertebrates. When plural, refers to the major airways of insects.
Tidal volume
The amount of air that is exchanged during each breath when a person is at rest
Inspiratory reserve volume
The amount of air that can be inhaled above the normal ideal inspiration
Alveolus
A small, baglike cavity, especially the blind saves of the lung
Intercostal muscles
Muscles between the ribs that can augment breathing movements by elevating and suppressing the rib cage.
Thoracic cavity
The portion of the mammalian body cavity bounded by the ribs, shoulders, and diaphragm. Contains the heart and the lungs.
Surfactant
A substance that decreases the surface tension of a liquid. In the lung, it is secreted by cells of the alveoli, is mostly phospholipid and decreases the amount of work necessary to inflate the lungs.
Expiration reserve volume
The amount of air that can be forcefully exhaled beyond the normal tidal expiration
Positive cooperativity
Occurs when a molecule can bind several ligand sand each one that binds alters the conformation of the molecule so that it can bind the next ligand more easily.
Bohr effect
The fact that low pH decreases the affinity of hemoglobin of oxygen.
Surface tension
The attractive intermolecular forces at the surface of liquid; especially important in water.
Bronchus
The major airway(s) branching off the trachea into the vertebrate lung.
Parabronchi
Passages in the lungs of birds through which air flows
Diaphragm
A sheet of muscle that separates the thoracic and abdominal cavities in mammals; responsible for breathing
Air sacs
Structures in the respiratory system of birds that receive inhaled air; they keep fresh air flowing unidirectional lay through the lungs, but are not themselves gas exchanged surfaces.
