Physiology Flashcards
What are the tissues/components that facilitate ventilation?
1) Chest Wall
- Skeleton (Ribs, sternum, clavicles)
- Muscles (Diaphragm, intercostal muscles)
2) Others (under certain conditions)
- Neck muscles (Scalene, Sternomastoids)
During quiet expiration, the chest cavity _____, thoracic volume (↑/↓). This (↑/↓) the pressure in the _____ and ______, allowing for air to flow out.
Chest cavity recoils (inspiratory muscles relax)
Thoracic volume ↓
Lung and pleural cavity ↑
During inspiration, inspiratory muscles: ___________contract, causing thoracic volume (↑/↓). This (↑/↓) the pressure in the _____ and ______, allowing for air to flow in.
Inspiratory muscles: diaphragm and EICM contract
Thoracic volume ↑
Lung and pleural cavity pressure ↓
Is quiet expiration an active or passive process?
Passive
Is inspiration an active or passive process?
Active
During stimulated ventilation, how are inspiratory and expiratory efforts strengthened?
Extra muscles are recruited in inspiration/expiration:
- neck
- Internal intercostal
- abdominal muscles
What are the changes to ventilation during excercise?
1) Extra muscles recruited (IICM, neck, abdominal)
2) ↑lung volume inhaled during inspiration/exhaled during expiration (↑TV)
3) ↑air drawn into lungs per unit time
What is the pressure in the pleural space?
Intrapleural pressure
Before inspiration, what are the intra-alveolar and intrapleural pressures?
Intra-alveolar=atmospheric @ sea level (760mmHg/ 0 relative pressure)
Intra-pleural<Intra-alveolar (757mmHg/ -3 relative)
Why is intrapleural pressure at rest subatmospheric?
Negative intrapleural pressure created by lung recoil against chest wall (tends to spring out)
What are the changes in the (i) intra-alveolar and (ii) intra-pleural pressure during ventilation?
Both negative relative pressure:
Intra-alveolar ↓ (759mmHg/ -1 relative)
Intra-pleural ↓ (754mmHg/ -6 relative)
What are the changes in the (i) intra-alveolar and (ii) intra-pleural pressure during quiet expiration?
Intra-alveolar ↑ (761mmHg/ 1 relative)
Intra-pleural ↑ back to normal (753mmHg/ -3 relative)
Why does intra-alveolar pressure increase to positive relative pressure during quiet expiration?
Due to the air taken in during inspiration
How does a pneumothorax (lung puncture → air entry) affect (i) intra-alveolar and (ii) intra-pleural pressure?
↑ Intrapleural pressure (to 0 relative)
No change to intra-alveolar (alr 0 relative)
How does pleural effusion, hemothorax, or a pneumothorax affect the pleural cavity?
Pleural cavity expands (air drawn in by negative relative pressure)
What are the 4 ventilation volumes in order of increasing volume?
1) RV (residual)
2) ERV (expiratory reserve)
3) TV (tidal)
4) IRV (inspiratory reserve)
What is Residual Volume (RV)?
Volume of air left after maximum expiration
What is Expiratory Reserve Volume (ERV)?
Volume of extra air expelled with maximum expiration (after passive expiration)
What is Inspiratory Reserve Volume (IRV)?
Volume of extra air entering with maximal inspiration (on top of TV)
What is Tidal Volume (TV)?
Volume of air entering @ each resting breath/volume expelled on passive expiration
How do the ventilation volumes in men compare to women?
Men on avg > Women
- men > muscular framework & chest wall
- > vol. during forceful inspiration/expiration
How does Tidal Volume change during exercise?
Resting VT < Exercising VT
- exercising recruits other lung volumes @ rest
(IRV increase, ERV decrease)
What are 5 factors that may impair the body’s ability to ventilate and thus ventilation volume?
1) Muscle power of chest wall
2) Skeletal deformities of chest wall
3) Resistance to air flow (lung pneumothorax, pleural effusion)
4) Stiffness in Lung (loss of elasticity)
5) Lung collapse
6) Restriction of diaphragm movement (eg. abdominal pain)
What is the term for increased ventilation?
Hyperventilation
What is the term for decreased ventilation?
Hypoventilation
What is the term for increased breathing rate/respiratory rate?
Tachypnoea
What is the term for distressful sensation of breathing?
Dyspnoea
How is Minute Ventilation measured?
TV x Respiratory rate (breaths/minute)
(~6L/min)
How does TV, RR and Minute Ventilation change during exercise?
All increase
What is the difference between physiologic and anatomic dead space?
Physiological: vol. of air breathed in that does not undergo gas exchange
- normally contributed by anatomic dead space (but not all and under all circumstances)
Anatomic: Air in airways up to respiratory bronchioles (just short of alveoli)
What is Alveolar Ventilation (VA) and how is it calculated?
Volume of air that reaches alveoli (L)/min
= (Tidal volume - Dead space) x Breaths per minute
What is the difference between minute ventilation and alveolar ventilation?
Minute ventilation: tidal volume of air breathed in/min
Alveolar ventilation: Air reaching alveoli/min (accounts for dead space)
In a pneumothorax, what are the ipsilateral changes to:
i) Intrapleural pressure
ii) Lung volume
iii) Ventilation volume
i) Intrapleural pressure increase
ii) Lung volume decrease
iii) Ventilation volume decrease
What are 5 factors affecting the rate of gas exchange at the alveoli?
a) Diffusion across alveolar-capillary barrier
1) Partial pressure of gases
2) Thickness of barrier
3) Surface area
4) solubility of gas
b) Blood flow
4) Perfusion of alveoli
5) Rate of blood flow through alveoli
How does the proportion of gas in a mixture affect diffusion?
Movement of gases from areas of high to low partial pressure
- partial pressure is proportional to % gas in mixture
(calculated by % x 760mmHg)
When does diffusion stop?
When gas partial pressures are equalised (no difference in partial pressures)
What are the epithelial barriers involved in gas exchange at alveoli?
1) Alveolar epithelium
2) Capillary endothelium
(basement membrane in between)
How does a pulmonary embolism affect gas exchange?
Blood flow ceases —> no gas exchange
True or false: Alveolar gases equilibrate at the same rates, depending on blood flow.
False
Different gases diffuse/equilibrate at different rates
What are the 3 components that attribute to functional surface area in the lungs?
1) Ventilation
2) Diffusion
3) Perfusion
How does kyphosis affect ventilation?
↓ ability to ventilate
What can cause ↓ alveolar ventilation (3)?
1) ↓ Tidal volume (eg. kyphosis, COPD, Emphysema
2) ↑ Dead space
3) ↓ RR
What type of breathing would have higher alveolar ventilation, Rapid shallow or Slow deep?
Slow and deep breathing
A foreign object is lodged in a small bronchiole, what will happen to the alveoli supplied by that bronchiole?
Collapse → ↓Alveolar ventilation/gas exchange
What can ↓ alveolar diffusion (3)?
1) ↓ diff in partial pressures (eg. high altitude)
2) Abnormal thickening of alveolar-capillary barrier (eg. fibrosis, oedema)
3) ↓ alveolar vol/functional alveoli (eg. pneumonia)
4) ↑↑/↓↓ blood flow (eg. fibrosis, embolism)
How are pack years calculated?
No. packs (20 sticks)/day x No. years smoking
What are 5 effects of cigarette smoke on the respiratory system?
1) Cumulative irritation of airways & lungs
2) ↑ Mucus secretion
3) ↓ cilliary function
4) Chronic inflammation of airways & lungs (eg. chronic bronchitis)
5) Lung cancer
Which circulation is of a higher pressure, pulmonary or systemic?
Systemic: 120/80
Pulmonary: 24/10
True or false: Physiologically, the lungs receive the whole of cardiac output at all times.
True.
Pulmonary circulation is a high flow system