Resp 4 - Gas transport and exchange

Question 1

State Dalton’s law

Answer 1

The partial pressure of a mixture of gases is equal to the sum of the partial pressures of the gases that make up the mixture.
Pgas mixture = Pgas1 + Pgas2 + … + Pgas n

Question 2

State Fick’s law

Answer 2

Molecules diffuse from regions of high concentration to low concentration at a rate of diffusion is directly proportional to concentration gradient (P1-P2), the exchange surface area (A), the diffusion capacity (D) of the gas and inversely proportional to the thickness of the exchange surface (T).

Vgas= [ A x D x (P1-P2) ]/ T

Question 3

State Henry’s law

Answer 3

At a constant temperature, the amount of a given gas that dissolves in a give type and amount of liquid is directly proportional to the partial pressure of the gas in equilibrium with the liquid.

Question 4

State Boyle’s law

Answer 4

At a constant temperature, volume is inversely proportional to pressure.

Pgas proportional to 1/Vgas

Question 5

State Charles’ law

Answer 5

At a constant pressure, volume is directly proportional to temperature.
Vgas proportional to Tgas

Question 6

What is the proportion of O2, CO2 and N2 in the air?

Answer 6

O2 - 21%
CO2 - 0.04%
N2 - 78%

High altitude - same proportion of gases but smaller volumes

Question 7

Describe how partial pressure of oxygen changes as it passes down the airways.

Answer 7

The partial pressure decreases from 21.3 kPa to 20 kPa to 13.5 kPa in the alveoli.
It is mixed to the air in the airways

Question 8

How is the air modified in the airways?

Answer 8

Warmed
Humified (water pressure goes up to saturted to protect airways and improve conductivity)
Slowed
Mixed

Question 9

How much oxygen can be dissolved in out bodies?

Answer 9

0.32mL/dL
= 16 mL/min

resting VO2 is approx 250mL/min so relying on oxygen alone is not viable so we have a more effective transport mechanism.

Question 10

What is the normal oxygen consumption at rest?

Answer 10

250mL/min

Question 11

What is the binding capacity of oxygen to haemoglobin?

Answer 11

1.34 mL/g

Question 12

What is the solubility coefficient of oxygen in blood using mm Hg?

Answer 12

0.003 mL

Question 13

What do we call a protein which changes structure depending on what it’s bound to, like haemoglobin?

Answer 13

Allosteric protein

–> cooperativity: the more O2 binds, the more prone it is to get other O2s

Question 14

What change occurs in the middle of the haemoglobin tetramer when oxygen binds?

Answer 14

Oxygen binding changes the structure of the middle of the haemoglobin creating a binding site for 2,3-DPG (a glycolytic by-product) - 2,3-DPG production is reflective of metabolism and it binds to the haemoglobin and squeezes out the oxygen (lowers the affinity of haemoglobin for oxygen)

Question 15

What is the name given to the phenomenon where oxygen binding to haemoglobin increases the affinity making more oxygen bind?

Answer 15

Cooperativity

Question 16

What is Methaemoglobin?

Answer 16

It is the oxidised form of haemoglobin: Ferrous ion (Fe2+) transformed into ferric form fe3+. This does not bind to oxygen. Causes blue people and functional anaemia ie. normal HCL, PCV, but impaired O2 capacity

Question 17

How is plotted an oxygen dissociation curve?

Answer 17

It is PO2 (kPa) against HbO2 saturation (%)

it shows that in the systemic circulation, O2 is more likely to unbind Hb (the smaller the O2 pressure, the more likely it unbinds (logic)) and in the pulmonary it is more likely to bind to O2 (on a wide range of partial pressures)

Question 18

What is used to see if the ODC shifts right/left?

Answer 18

P50 (y axis) - partial pressure of oxygen when Hb sat is at 50%

Question 19

What does a rightward shift of the ODC promote? a leftward shift? downward? upward?

Answer 19

• Rightward: promotes unloading - factors associated with exercise - Bohr effect - increased temp, acidosis, hypercapnia
• Leftward: promotes loading/affinity - all the contrary of rightward
• -> these can be seen with P50 - same total O2 in blood
• Downward: Anaemia - impaired oxygen carrying capacity
• Upward: Polycythaemia (abnormally high Hb conc) - increased oxygen-carrying capacity
• -> these will have the same P50 PO2 value, but the scale of the Hb is changed - squished - total O2 in blood is way lower - saturation doesn’t change

Downward AND leftwards - decreased capacity, increased affinity
When Hb binds to CO - less oxygen and less able to bind to it

Question 20

What are the benefits of having a sigmoid ODC?

Answer 20

100% haemoglobin saturation can occur at a broad range of partial pressures - alveolar PO2
Large range and scope for unloading oxygen in the tissues - very high unloading capacity

Question 21

What would the consequences be if the oxygen dissociation curve was linear?

Answer 21

A lower haemoglobin saturation would be achieved in the lungs when the partial pressure of oxygen in the lungs is at the lower end of normal. There is also reduced potential to unload oxygen at respiring tissues.

Question 22

Describe the shape of the ODC of myoglobin and foetal haemoglobin and why this shape is needed for their function.

Answer 22

Myoglobin has much much greater affinity than HbA to ‘extract’ oxygen from circulating blood - it is the globin present in muscles - logic as they need great O2 supply
Foetal haemoglobin has greater affinity than adult to extract blood - logic because has to extract from mother’s blood in placenta

Question 23

Why does the Hb saturation of the blood decrease from 100% at the respiratory exchange surface to 97% in the systemic circulation?

Answer 23

Because bronchial circulation drains into pulmonary vein

Question 24

Why does O2 go in haemoglobin in red blood cells?

Answer 24

First diffuses into the blood - there the concentration of O2 is lower than in the RBC so it will diffuse quickly inside . When it comes in it occupies the final binding spot of haemoglobin - the blood doesn’t arrived deoxygenated it has a Hb sat of 75%.

Question 25

Define oxygen flux and state the usual oxygen flux at rest.

Answer 25

Oxygen flux = amount of oxygen delivered to the peripheral tissues per minute. i.e. content delivered per minute. basically lost oxygen
Usual = -5 mL/min = -250 mL/min

Question 26

Describe the reaction of carbon dioxide with water.

Answer 26

Carbon dioxide is much more soluble than oxygen –> dissolves into plasma easily –> might bump into some water:
Turns to Carbonic Acid H2CO3
This then dissociates to H+ and HCO3-
Slow reaction because no enzyme

Question 27

Why does this reaction take place faster in the red blood cells?

Answer 27

From plasma CO2 moves to RBC
Reaction takes place 5000 times faster
This is because ENZYMEEE
–> carbonic anhydrase

Question 28

Which transporter moves the bicarbonate produced in the red blood cell into the plasma?

Answer 28

The bicarbonate produced from the CO2 moves into the plasma by AE1 transporter.

Question 29

This transporter also allows the influx of which ion? What is the term given to this movement of ions?

Answer 29

AE1 transporter allows the influx of chloride ion Cl-

It is called chloride shift

Question 30

What effect does the influx of chloride (antiport with bicarbonate via AE1) have on the red blood cell?

Answer 30

Maintains the chemical electroneutrality across the RBC membrane - as we removed a HCO3- it has to be balanced
Also takes in WATER. However, cells does not rupture because it reacts with CO2. Good that water moves in with chloride otherwise all the water would react with bicarbonate and would dehydrate.

Question 31

How does carbon dioxide binds to proteins and what does it form?

Answer 31

Carbon dioxide binds to the amine end of protein. Forms HbCO2 - carbaminohaemoglobin

Question 32

What is the net CO2 flux?

Answer 32

+4mL/dL

=+200mL/min

Question 33

Why are total oxygen consumption and total carbon dioxide production not equal?

Answer 33

+4 for CO2 and +5 for O2

This is due to the fact that some of the water is lost in metabolic water production

Question 34

What is pulmonary transit time?

Answer 34

the time that blood is in contact with the respiratory surface
usually 0.75s

Question 35

How is the pH balanced if H+ are produced by the reaction of CO2 with water in the RBC?

Answer 35

H+ protons will bind to proteins - they make good buffers to use these extra protons.
Some of the aa are negatively charged so are really good proton acceptors - ex. histidine
pH on venous side is a bit lower because extra H+ in the blood

Question 36

What is the ventilation perfusion mismatching of the lungs?

Answer 36

Blood flow to the lungs is not homogenous. At the bottom - lower resistance circuit because no pumping against gravity for the heart
SO less blood perfuses the apex of the lung
There is also better ventilation at the bottom of the lungs