respiratory system

Question 1

What is the circulatory system

Answer 1

the heart pumps blood to the lungs where the blood collects oxygen and returns back to the heart and is pumped back all around the body

Question 2

what are the stages of gas exchange

Answer 2

1. air passes into the lungs through the tube called the trachea
2. The trachea now splits into two smaller tubes called bronchi, with one passing to each lung.
3. Further into the lungs, the bronchi subdivide into many smaller tubes called bronchi oles which then ends in tiny air sacs called alveoli
4. Once the oxygen diffuses into the blood, it is rapidly removed. This ensures that the concentration gradient is as steep as possible.

Question 3

what is one of the key features of the trachea

Answer 3

it has rings of cartilage to prevent the trachea from collapsing during inhalation

Question 4

what is alveoli

Answer 4

where gases diffuse in and out of the bloodstream (sites of gas exchange)

Question 5

how are alveoli adapted for gas exchange

Answer 5

there are millions of alveoli meaning the lungs have a huge surface area

alveoli have very thin walls so diffusion path is very small

alveoli has a really good blood supply

Question 6

what does breathing do to the rate of diffusion

Answer 6

Breathing brings fresh oxygen into the alveoli and takes away the carbon dioxide. This makes the concentration gradients high for these gases increasing the rate of diffusion.