Gas exchange

what is the role of haemoglobin in gas exchange?

It carries oxygen from lungs to tissue - oxyhaemoglobin

What is the relevance of mitochondria to gas exchange?

We create ATP through aerobic respiration

What about the alveoli maximises the rate of oxygen diffusion?

large SA:V ratio (Large SA, Small V)

squamous epithelial cells

What components create a oxygen concentration gradient

High conc in alveoli, low in blood and capillaries

What changes happen to breathing and alveoli while resting?

Quiet breathing - only small number of alveoli used

reduced blood flow to remaining alveoli

What happens to breathing and alveoli while exercising?

Forced breathing - Increased number of alveoli used

blood supplied by dilated arterioles

aka ^ blood flow bcs… waste is created faster so more oxygen is needed

How does gas exchange function at the alveoli site?

deoxygenated blood flows around alveoli in capillary it diffuses its co2 into the alveoli and the blood continues flowing, on the other side the oxygen is diffused into the blood, oxygenating the deoxygenated blood

What is surfactant?

soap like molecules around the alveoli so that the alveoli dont stick together when they collapse

via decreasing surface tension

created in septal cells in epithelial layer of alveoli walls