Respiratory System Flashcards
What are alveoli and what do they do?
Tiny sacks of air with capillaries inside. Alveoli diffuses CO2.
What is the partial pressure of water vapour in the lungs?
47mm/Hg (constant)
What pressure of O2 is needed to function properly?
55mm/Hg
Volume of O2/CO2 in lungs?
O2 = 14% CO2 = 5.3%
Haemoglobin. What is it, what does it do, and where is it made?
Protein in the red blood cells. Transports O2 and absorbs it. Made in bone marrow.
What is the saturation level of haemoglobin? (MSL/10.000ft/20.000ft)
MSL: 97.5% 10.000ft : 87% 20.000ft : 65%
O2 Requirements in relation to altitude.
- Up to 10.000ft: Air only
- 10.000ft to 33.700ft: O2+Air mix = keeps body at Ground level.
- 33.700ft to 40.000ft: 100% O2 = keeps body at 10.000ft.
- Above 40.000ft: O2 under pressure to keep body at 10.000ft.
How thick are capillaries and what do they do?
1 cell thick. They diffuse O2.
Explain how the air reaches the lungs.
Air is breathed in through our nose/mouth. It travels through the trachea (windpipe). It is then split via the bronchus into 2 lungs and flows through bronchioles into alveoli. Alveoli is wrapped in capillaries, which diffuses O2.
How many alveoli are in our body?
Approx. 300 million
What is oxyhemoglobin?
When oxygen has diffused into haemoglobin.
It is then transported around the body to the organs & muscles.
What is external respiration?
When we take oxygen from the air and diffuse it in the red blood stream. Also CO2 from blood to air.
What is internal respiration?
It’s when oxyginated blood is taken to organs&muscles.
Use of oxygen within each cell to create energy by oxidising fuel (carbs/glucose).
Internal respiration controls our metabolism
Cabin Pressure is set to which altitude?
6000-8000ft.
Breathing through the nose does what?
- It cleans and filters the air
- Warms the air
- Adds moisture to the air.
What are the waste products of internal respiration?
CO2 and Water.
CO2 + Water = Carbonic Acid
What does Carbonic Acid do?
It controls the pH/acidity level of our blood which controls our breathing.
Normal rate of external respiration at rest?
12-20 times per minute