Understanding Respiratory System

These flashcards cover key vocabulary terms regarding the respiratory system and its functions in oxygen and carbon dioxide transport.

Oxygen transport

The process by which oxygen is carried from the lungs to the tissues of the body.

Oxygen capacity

The maximum amount of oxygen that can combine with hemoglobin.

Dissolved oxygen

Oxygen that is carried in the plasma and is in a dissolved state.

Chloride Shift

The process in which bicarbonate ions exit red blood cells while chloride ions enter, maintaining electrical neutrality.

Haldane Effect

The phenomenon where deoxygenation of blood increases its ability to carry carbon dioxide.

Bohr Effect

The effect of pH on the oxygen-hemoglobin dissociation curve, where increased H+ concentration reduces hemoglobin's affinity for oxygen.

Carbamino compound

Formed when carbon dioxide reacts with terminal amine groups of blood proteins.

Hemoglobin saturation

The percentage of hemoglobin molecules in the blood that are saturated with oxygen.

Peripheral chemoreceptors

Receptors located in the carotid and aortic bodies detecting changes in blood oxygen, carbon dioxide, and pH.

Central chemoreceptors

Receptors located near the medulla that respond to changes in carbon dioxide and pH levels.