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What is the function of the respiratory system?
Which four processes does the respiratory system use to perform its function?
What maximises air flow? What maximises gaseous exchange? What kind of compromise therefore exists in the lungs?
Complete the equation: alveolar ventilation = ...
What is the lung capacity?
What is a typical rate and depth of breathing over a minute?
The structure of the lungs is a compromise between minimal airway resistance and maximal exchange surface area. But how is the work of lungs also a compromise?
With regard to resistance, how is the pulmonary system the same as the vascular system?
What is compliance?
What is lung compliance determined by?
Which are firmer: smaller or larger surfactant bubbles in alveoli? Why?
What is the Law of LaPlace?
Without surfactant, what is the tendency of air movement between a large and a small alveolus that are connected?
Which cells produce surfactant?
What size alveoli contains more surfactant?
What are the effects of surfactant presence?
What is the 'dead space' in the lungs?
What volume of air does the 'dead space' of the lungs store?
Why is only 350 mL of air exchanged, despite the fact that the average inspiration is ~500mL?
Why might alveoli be said not to be ventilated?
Why might minimal velocity at the alveoli be necessary/beneficial?
What is the respiratory zone defined/characterised by?
What does the respiratory zone consist of?
What process occurs in the respiratory zone?
Roughly how many alveoli are there in the lungs?
What size are alveoli?
What structure composes the majority of the lung tissue?
What type of cells do alveoli consist of a single layer of?
What is the diffusion distance across the respiratory membrane?
What components does the respiratory membrane consist of?
Gaseous exchange across a respiratory membrane can be calculated thus: D = (s / √MW) * ΔP * (A/d). What does this mean?
What is the diffusion distance in the gaseous exchange equation D = (s / √MW) * ΔP * (A/d) ?
What is the diffusion area of the lungs? What volume of blood is distributed over this area?
What is Dalton's law of pressure?
How do gases diffuse with regard to pressure gradients?
What is Henry's law?
What is the pressure gradient of CO2 between the venous blood and the alveoli?
What is the pressure gradient of O2 between the alveoli and the blood?
How does the respiratory membrane have ~230ml/min O2 diffuse across it at rest?
How can the diffusing capacity of the lungs be increased?
How are ventilation and perfusion of the lungs coupled?
What are the four mechanisms by which CO2 is removed from plasma?
What is the chloride shift?
What are the two mechanisms by which oxygen is delivered to the plasma and erythrocytes?
The movements of O2 and CO2 are driven by partial pressures between what?
What is O2's solubility in a litre of blood?
How does haemoglobin's affinity for O2 allow for a greater volume of O2 to be carried in the blood?
How many binding sites for O2 does a molecular of haemoglobin have?
How does the binding/dissociation of O2 change haemoglobin's affinity for O2?
What percentages of diffused O2 from the alveoli are carried in the plasma and by haemoglobin?
What percentages of CO2 derived from respiring tissues are carried in the plasma, by haemoglobin, and in the form of HCO3- ?
What does the HCO3- form of CO2 transport also aid in the body?
What happen's to the blood's capacity to carry oxygen in alkaline and acidic conditions?
How does the binding of oxygen to haemoglobin help to get rid of CO2?
Which factors involved in oxygen transport could be affected in pulmonary pathology, that would affect the PO2 of the plasma?
Which factors involved in oxygen transport can be affected by pulmonary pathology, that affect the amount of O2 bound to Hb?
What is emphysema? What effect does it have on the lungs and the partial pressures of O2 and CO2?
What is fibrotic lung disease? How does it affect the lungs and the partial pressures of O2 and CO2?
What is pulmonary oedema? How does it affect the lungs and the partial pressures of O2 and CO2?
What is asthma? How does it affect the lungs and the partial pressures of O2 and CO2?
Regulation of ventilation drives the rhythmic patterns of skeletal muscles driving ventilation. But where does the central pattern generator receive input from?
How does neural activity change during inspiration?
Where are the pneumotaxic and apneustic centres found in the brain?
Where are the dorsal and ventral respiratory groups found in the brain?
Where do continuous inhibitory signals travel to from the pneumotaxic centre in the pons?
Where do continuous stimulatory signals from the apneustic centre in the pons travel?
Which muscles does the ventral respiratory group send stimulatory impulses to once stimulated itself?
Which muscles does the dorsal respiratory group send stimulatory impulses to, when stimulated itself?
Which type of cells do peripheral chemoreceptors consist of?
Where are peripheral chemoreceptors found?
Chemoreceptors contain receptors for which gases/ions?
Where are central chemoreceptors found?
Which relative concentrations of O2, CO2 and H+ lead to increased ventilation?
How does low PO2 diffusing from the blood to the glomus cells in the carotid body cause an increase in ventilation?
What is the negative feedback mechanism for the glomus cell peripheral chemoreceptors responding to changes in blood gas composition?
How do CO2 chemoreceptors in the medulla increase the rate of ventilation? Why are H+ ions significant?
What is the negative feedback mechanism for the central chemoreceptors responding to changes in the blood gas composition?
Other than the peripheral and central chemoreceptors, which receptors can influence the rate of ventilation?
How many times can the rate of ventilation increase by in exercise?
As well as increasing in rate, what happens to the breath in exercise?
Is increased ventilation in exercise a response to an increase in CO2 in the blood/a decrease in O2 in the blood/a decrease in pH of the blood?
How does the rate of ventilation change between the beginning and the end of exercise?
