Respiratory physiology Flashcards

1
Q

What are the key functions of the respiratory system?

A

-gas exchange; regulation of pH body fluids; temperature control; voice production

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2
Q

What are the 2 key respiratory gases?

A

O2 and CO2

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3
Q

What is partial pressure?

A

the amount of pressure exerted by a particular gas in a mixture

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4
Q

What is a gas exchange membrane? How do gases get to the exchange membrane? How do they cross it?

A
  • layers of tissues(s) that separates the internal tissues from the external environment
  • gases reach the membrane by convection transport (ventilation and circulation) and cross the membrane by diffusion
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5
Q

What factors control the rate of gas diffusion?

A
  • high partial pressure to low
  • affected by: membrane surface area, difference in partial pressures, distance between two partial pressures, the gas, temperature, the phase, membrane permeability
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6
Q

Why is it advantageous to have an expansive, but very thin gas exchange membrane?

A

bigger surface area

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7
Q

List the parts of the respiratory system

A

-nasal passages, pharynx, larynx, trachea, bronchi, bronchioles, aveoli, intercostal muscles, diaphragm, pulmonary artery & vein

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8
Q

What are the major muscle groups involved in breathing in mammals? In birds?

A

-mammals: external intercostals, diaphragm, internal intercostals, abdominal muscles

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9
Q

Describe how air moves through the airways in mammals.

A
  • composition of air in alveoli is different from the atmosphere
  • not all of the “stale” air is cleared from the alveoli after each breath and the inhaled “fresh” air makes up only a small percent of air in the alveoli
  • lower pO2 and higher pCO2 than conducting airways
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10
Q

What are the different roles of the larynx?

A

voice box, part of the airway

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11
Q

What is the difference between conducting and respiratory airways?

A
  • conducting: passages that bring air to/from exchange surface
  • respiratory: where gas exchange occurs, high surface area and good blood supply
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12
Q

What is the role of the avian air sacs?

A

NOT the site of gas exchange; they help move air through the parabronchi because birds to not have a diaphragm

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13
Q

Explain the muscular processes involved with inspiration and how these processes lead to air
being drawn into the lungs in mammals.

A
  • requires coordinated muscle contraction by the intercostal muscles and diaphragm (ATP use)
  • rib cage pulled up and out, diaphragm descends and creates a vacuum, lungs volume expands, air pulled into airways
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14
Q

Explain the processes of expiration in mammals. How (and when) are muscles involved in expiration in mammals?

A
  • muscle relaxation- elastic recoil
  • neurons of inspiration are inhibited, muscles relax, rib cage returns to “normal” position; pressure increases pushes air out of alveoli
  • forced expiration may be necessary and used the internal intercostals and the abdominal muscles (needs ATP)
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15
Q

Explain the muscular processes involved with inspiration and how these processes lead to air
being drawn into the lungs in birds.

A
  • posterior ribs expand and sternum swings forward and down

- air sacs expand: inhale

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16
Q

Explain the muscular processes involved with of expiration in birds and how these processes
lead to air leaving the lungs.

A
  • contraction by abdominal and external intercostals
  • ATP required
  • air sacs empty: exhale
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17
Q

Why is the composition of air in the alveoli different from that in the atmosphere?

A

not all of the stale air is cleared from alveoli after each breath and the inhaled fresh air makes up only a small percent of air in the alveoli

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18
Q

Explain/define all the different subdivisions of lung volume. What is the tidal volume?

A
  • tidal volume: amount of air that comes into and out of the lungs during each breath
  • vital capacity: maximum amount of air that can move into and out of the lungs during breathing
  • residual volume: amount of air that cannot be forcefully expired from the lungs
19
Q

What factors determine how much air enters the lungs each minute?

A

respiratory minute volume

20
Q

Explain how and why respiration can have both voluntary and non-voluntary components?

A

-normal breathing is reflexive (done without thinking)

21
Q

What areas of the brain are involved with the control of respiratory rate?

A

medulla, pons

22
Q

What different “chemical” factors regulate the respiratory rate? How? Why?

A

pre-Botzinger complex; initiate the breathing rhythm

23
Q

What is the normal blood pH of homeotherms and why is it important to keep this range very tight?

A

~7.4; anything different will alter protein function

24
Q

Explain all of the processes involved with CO2 moving from the tissues to the blood. Include
discussion of how and where it is converted to bicarbonate and where the bicarbonate ion is primarily found. Also include discussion of how the H+ formed during HCO3- formation is buffered in the blood (and how that varies based on where the HCO3- was made).1

A
  1. O2 is used by the tissues to produce ATP and CO2 is produced
  2. CO2 diffuses out of the muscle (tissue) from high PCO2 to low PCO2 in the bloodstream
  3. Most CO2 diffuses from the bloodstream into the red blood cell
  4. of the CO2 that diffuses into the RBC, some of the CO2 may combine with the amino group of hemoglobin to form a carbamate ion + H+
  5. The majority of the CO2 in the RBC is converted to HCO3- + H+ by carbonic anhydrase in the RBC
  6. The HCO3- produced in the RBC is transported out into the plasma in exchange for Cl- (enters the RBC) = chloride shift
25
Q

Why does it make sense to link CO2 capacity/affinity with the oxygenation status of the
blood?

A

Carbonic anhydrase (CA) greatly increases the rate of HCO3- formation

26
Q

How does the Haldane effect work? In what way(s) is it in opposition to the Bohr effect?

A
  • Opposes the Bohr effect
  • hemoglobin deoxgenation promotes CO2 uptake, oxygenation promotes CO2 unloading
  • Deoxygenation increases buffering capacity of Hb, because Hb can either bind O2 or H+
  • More efficient H+ buffering, allows more HCO3 to be carried in the blood
  • O2 is released in the tissues which is where CO2 is produced; allows efficient removal of the CO2
27
Q

What are the key buffers in the blood (including the specific parts of the molecules)?

A

1- hemoglobin: intracellular buffer (inside RBC) - terminal amino groups of globin

2- plasma proteins: extracellular buffer (not in RBC) - charged chains of aa can take up or give off H+ ions

28
Q

Why is blood buffering important in ensuring that maximum amounts of CO2 can be carried
by the blood?

A

Amount of HCO3- in the blood is dependent on the buffering capacity (ability to remove H+) of the blood
-more buffering = more H+ ions “neutralized” = more bicarbonate can be carried in the blood

29
Q

What is the primary form of CO2 in the blood?

A

HCO3-

30
Q

Other than oxygen transport, what else does hemoglobin do?

A

it is an intracellular buffer

31
Q

Explain how the Bohr Effect helps to ensure efficient oxygen delivery to tissues under normal circumstances.

A
  • the O2 dissociation curve in the tissues is shifted to the right of the O2 dissociation curve in the lungs
  • due to the combine effects of higher PCO2 and lower pH in the tissues than in the lungs
  • encourages efficient O2 loading onto hemoglobin in the lungs and efficient O2 unloading in the tissues where the O2 is needed
  • allows for the greatest amount of O2 possible to be delivered to the tissues where it can be diffused and be used to make ATP
32
Q

What are the factors that affect the affinity of hemoglobin for oxygen? For each of these factors explain how they affect the affinity and why. Be able to show how the oxygen dissociation curve will move if changes occur to each of these factors (independently).

A
  • many of the same factors that affect respiratory rate (bohr effect)
  • increase PCO2 = decrease affinity
  • decrease pH = decrease affinity
  • temperature: increase temp = decrease affinity
  • metabolic byproducts may decrease infinity
  • type of hemoglobin (myoglobin) = myoglobin has a greater affinity for O2 at tissue PO2 than blood hemoglobin
33
Q

What do we mean when we say that hemoglobin’s affinity for oxygen is high under a certain
physiological situation?

A

Certain physiological effects can influence it; temperature, metabolic byproducts, etc

34
Q

What drives oxygen movement from the blood into the tissues and how does this relate back
to the oxygen dissociation curve?

A

-oxygen must be released from the hemoglobin to diffuse across membranes into the tissues, so it is beneficial for less O2 to be bound to hemoglobin in the tissues (where lowest PO2 exists)

35
Q

What is an oxygen dissociation curve and what does it tell us? Be able to draw the shape of the curve (and know some of the key numbers- ie. lungs, systemic tissues and tissues during exercise)

A

-the graphical representation of the relationship between Hb oxygenation and O2 partial pressure

36
Q

What is meant by the term ‘oxygen carrying capacity’?

A
  • the oxygen content of the blood when all hemoglobin is saturated with O2
  • dependent on how much hemoglobin is in the blood
37
Q

What sets of membranes does O2 need to cross to get from the alveoli to bind to hemoglobin?

A
  • alveolar membrane (into and out of cell)
  • capillary endothelium (into and out of cell)
  • RBC membrane (into cell)
38
Q

In what form (ie. dissolved, bound, etc.) is the majority of blood oxygen?

A

bound

39
Q

What are the key roles of hemoglobin?

A
  • increase the O2 carrying capacity of blood **
  • assist with regulation of blood pH
  • Co2 transport through the blood
40
Q

Describe the structure of hemoglobin and how it may vary based on the tissue.

A
  • heme (ring structure) + globin (protein chain)
  • 1 oxygen/heme group
  • varies within a species across tissues
  • blood hemoglobins = 4 heme+globin molecules
  • muscle myoglobins: 1 heme+globin
41
Q

What factors regulate the respiratory rate in birds?

A
  • CNS control in the pons and medulla
  • chemoreceptors for PCO2, PO2, and pH
  • mechanoreceotprs
  • thermoreceptors
42
Q

Describe air flow through the avian respiratory system during inspiration and expiration.

A

Inspiration:

  • posterior air sacs filled with “fresh” air
  • anterior air sacs filled with “stale” air
  • movement through the parabronuhi is always posterior to anterior

Exhalation:

  • air is pushed out of air sacs
  • “fresh” air from the posterior air sacs directed to the parabronchi
  • “stale” air from bronchi and anterior air sacs is exhaled via the primary bronchi
  • the majority of exhaled gas has passed over the exchange surfaces by the end of the inhalation-exhalation cycle
  • movement through the parabronchi is always posterior to anterior
43
Q

Aside from chemical mediators, what else may be involved in controlling respiration during
exercise?

A

psychological factors: exercise excitement activates the sympathetic nervous system

44
Q

What non-chemical factors can regulate respiratory rate?

A
  • motor neurons
  • sensors in limbs
  • thermoregulation
  • psychological factors