The Effects of Lung Disease

Question 1

What do lung diseases affect?

Answer 1

How well the lungs function by both ventilation and gas exchange in the lungs.

Question 2

What is tidal volume?

Answer 2

The volume of air in each breath (usually between 0.4 dm to 0.5 dm for adults).

Question 3

What is ventilation rate?

Answer 3

The number of breaths per minute.

Question 4

What is a healthy persons ventilation rate?

Answer 4

15 breaths per minute.

Question 5

What is forced expiratory volume (FEV)

Answer 5

The maximum volume of air that can be breathed out in 1 second.

Question 6

What is forced vital capacity (FVC)

Answer 6

The maximum volume of air it is possible to breathe forcefully out of the lungs after a really deep breath in.

Question 7

What are some examples of lung diseases?

Answer 7

• Tuberculosis
• Fibrosis
• Asthma
• Emphysema

Question 8

How is tuberculosis caused?

Answer 8

Pulmonary TB is caused by bacteria.

Question 9

What happens when people are infected with the TB bacteria?

Answer 9

• The immune system cells build a wall around the bacteria in the lungs.
• This forms small hard lumps known as tubercles.

Question 10

Why are tubercles from TB bad?

Answer 10

Because infected tissue within the tubercles dies, this damages the gaseous exchange surface, decreasing tidal volume.

Question 11

What other lung disease does TB cause?

Answer 11

Fibrosis

Question 12

Why is TB reducing tidal volume bad?

Answer 12

• Less air can be inhaled with each breath.

* So patients have to breath faster to take in enough oxygen, increasing ventilation rate.

Question 13

What symptoms are caused because of TB?

Answer 13

• A persistent cough
• Coughing up blood and mucus
• Chest pains
• Shortness of breath
• Fatigue

Question 14

What is fibrosis?

Answer 14

The formation of scar tissue in the lungs.

Question 15

How is fibrosis caused?

Answer 15

• Infection

* Exposure to asbestos and dust

Question 16

Why is fibrosis bad?

Answer 16

Because it forms scar tissue which is thicker and less elastic than normal lung tissue.

Question 17

Why is fibrosis causing scar tissue bad?

Answer 17

The lungs are less able to expand and can’t hold as much air as normal, reducing tidal volume and FVC.

Question 18

Why is fibrosis reducing tidal volume and FVC bad?

Answer 18

• Because there’s a reduction in the rate of gaseous exchange.
• Sufferers have to breath in more to get enough oxygen, increasing ventilation rate.

Question 19

Why is there a reduction in the rate of gaseous exchange because of fibrosis?

Answer 19

Because diffusion is slower across a thicker scarred membrane.

Question 20

What symptoms are caused by fibrosis?

Answer 20

• Shortness of breath
• Dry cough
• Chest pain
• Weakness and fatigue

Question 21

What does alveoli after fibrosis look like?

Answer 21

image

Question 22

What is asthma?

Answer 22

A respiratory condition where the airways become inflamed and irritated.

Question 23

Why is asthma usually caused?

Answer 23

Because of an allergic reaction to e.g. pollen or dust.

Question 24

What happens during an asthma attack?

Answer 24

The smooth muscle lining the bronchioles contract and a large amount of mucus is produced.

Question 25

What does an asthma attack cause?

Answer 25

Restriction of the airways, making it difficult for sufferers to breath properly.

Question 26

Why is asthma bad?

Answer 26

• Air flow in and out of the lungs is severly reduced.
• So less oxygen enters the alveoli and moves into the blood.
• Reduced air flow means that FEV1 is severly reduced.

Question 27

What symptoms occur because of asthma?

Answer 27

During an attack the symptoms can come on very suddenly like:
•Wheezing
•Tight chest
•Shortness of breath

Question 28

How is an asthma attack treated?

Answer 28

They can be relieved by drugs (inhalers) which cause the muscle in the bronchioles to relax, opening up the airways.

Question 29

What does a healthy bronchiole compared to an unhealthy one look like?

Answer 29

image

Question 30

What is emphysema?

Answer 30

A lung disease caused by smoking or long-term exposure to air pollution.

Question 31

Why does smoke and pollution cause emphysema?

Answer 31

• Foreign particles in the substances become trapped in the alveoli.
• This causes inflammation, which attracts phagocytes to the area.

Question 32

Why is it bad that phagocytes are attracted to the alveoli in emphysema?

Answer 32

Because phagocytes produce an enzyme that breaks down elastin (a protein found in the walls of the alveoli).

Question 33

Why do we need elastin in our alveoli?

Answer 33

It is elastic, thus it helps the alveoli return to their normal shape after inhaling and exhaling air.

Question 34

Why is loss of elastin due to emphysema bad?

Answer 34

• The alveoli can’t recoil to expel air as well (so it remains trapped in the alveoli).
• As this is loss of the alveoli walls, meaning that surface area is reduced, along with gas exchange.

Question 35

What are the symptoms of emphysema?

Answer 35

• Shortness of breath
• Wheezing
• Reduced ventilation rate

Question 36

What do healthy alveoli compared to alveoli effected by emphysema look like/

Answer 36

image

Question 37

What do all lung disease examples do?

Answer 37

They reduce the rate of gas exchange.

Question 38

Why is lung diseases reducing gas exchange bad?

Answer 38

• Less oxygen is able to diffuse into the bloodstream
• So the body cells receive less oxygen, reducing the rate of aerobic respiration
• So less energy is released causing sufferers to feel tired and weak.

Question 39

How do you calculate the percentage change?

Answer 39

(final value - original value / original value) x 100

Question 40

What is a spriometer?

Answer 40

A machine used to measure the volume of air breathed in and out.