PhysiologyLesson 4 of 7 in the course The Respiratory System

Pulmonary and Tissue Gas Exchange: Gradients, Transport, and Hyperbaric Oxygen

5 flashcards · 5 quiz questions · 5 match pairs · 5 fill-in sentences · English

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Summary

Gas exchange depends on how gases behave in mixtures and how they move between air and blood. This lesson introduces partial pressure, gas solubility, and the relationship between ventilation and perfusion.

Gas molecules exert pressure on the surfaces they contact. In a mixture, each gas contributes a portion of the total pressure called its partial pressure. Dalton’s law states that the total pressure of a mixture of nonreactive gases is the sum of the partial pressures of its individual gases.

All flashcards

What is external respiration?
Gas exchange between alveolar air and blood in the pulmonary capillaries.
What is internal respiration?
Gas exchange between systemic blood and body tissues.
How is most oxygen transported in blood?
Most oxygen binds to hemoglobin in red blood cells.
Why does carbon dioxide diffuse effectively across the respiratory membrane despite a smaller pressure gradient?
Carbon dioxide is about 20 times more soluble than oxygen.
How does increased pressure in hyperbaric treatment increase dissolved oxygen?
Higher oxygen partial pressure promotes more oxygen dissolving in blood and tissues.

Quiz questions

  1. Where does external respiration take place?Answer: Between alveolar air and pulmonary capillary blood.
  2. Why can carbon dioxide diffuse effectively across the respiratory membrane despite having a smaller partial-pressure gradient than oxygen?Answer: Carbon dioxide is much more soluble than oxygen.
  3. Which vessels return oxygen-rich blood from the lungs to the heart?Answer: Pulmonary veins.
  4. During internal respiration, which direction do oxygen and carbon dioxide diffuse?Answer: Oxygen moves from blood to tissues; carbon dioxide moves from tissues to blood.
  5. How does increased oxygen partial pressure in hyperbaric treatment promote oxygen availability?Answer: It increases the amount of oxygen that dissolves in blood and tissues.

Based on Anatomy and Physiology 2e by J. Gordon Betts, Kelly A. Young, James A. Wise, Eddie Johnson, Brandon Poe, Dean H. Kruse, Oksana Korol, Jody E. Johnson, Mark Womble, Peter DeSaix (OpenStax), licensed CC BY 4.0. Adapted into a summary, flashcards and quizzes.

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