Respiratory 19 Flashcards
What exerts a pressure in the air?
The gas molecules being constantly in motion
What changes air pressure?
- Temperature
* Concentration of gas molecules
What does Dalton’s Law state?
In a mixture of gases, each gas operates independant;y
What is the total pressure of each individual gas equal to?
The sum of individual pressures
Why does the percentage of water in inhaled air increases?
Because once air is inhaled it enters the nasal and oral cavities and is humidified as a result
Where does gas exchange occur?
At the respiratory membrane
What does the respiratory membrane contain?
- Fluid
- Alveolar epithelial cells
- Interstitial space
- Basement membrane of capillary
- Capillary epithelium
What is the overall thickness of the basement membrane?
It is very thin
What does Fick’s law state?
The rate of transfer of the gas through a sheet of tissue per unit time is proportional to the surface area of the membrane and depends on the difference in partial pressures between two environments
What two factors of the respiratory membrane greatly influence the diffusion process?
Area and thickness of the respiratory epithelium
What is the amount of gas transferred between the alveoli and the blood per unit time (diffusion constant) proportional to?
The gas solubility in fluids or in tissue
What is the diffusion constant?
The amount of gas transferred between the alveoli and the blood per unit time
What is the difference in solubility between CO2 and O2?
Solubility of CO2 is much higher than O2
Which has a faster diffusion process, Oxygen or Carbon dioxide?
Carbon Dioxide
What does Henry’s law state?
The amount of gas that is dissolved in a liquid is directly proportional to the partial pressure of the gas in which the liquid is in equilibrium
