Week 1 - Introduction and Gas Laws, Upper Respiratory Tract, Functional Histology of the Respiratory System

Question 1

Why is it important to ascend slowly to the surface in deep sea diving?

Answer 1

• Air is being breathed at a higher pressure: more N2 dissolved in the blood
• When ascending to the surface, it is important to ascend slowly in stages, to give time for the dissolved nitrogen coming out of solution in the lungs to be breathed out
• Too rapid an ascent can cause nitrogen to come out of solution too rapidly, resulting in the formation of N2 bubbles in the blood, which can cause air embolism