The Diffusion of Pulmonary Gases

These flashcards cover key vocabulary and concepts related to the diffusion of pulmonary gases and the mechanics involved in gas exchange.

Ventilation

The process of moving bulk amounts of air in and out of the lungs.

Oxygenation

The movement of gases across the alveolar-capillary membrane to provide oxygen to the body.

Dalton’s Law

The total pressure exerted by a mixture of gases is equal to the sum of the partial pressures of each gas in the mixture.

Partial Pressure

The pressure exerted by a particular gas in a mixture, proportional to its fraction within that mixture.

Diffusion Gradient

The difference in concentration of a gas across a membrane that drives gas movement.

Alveolar-Capillary Membrane

The membrane that separates the alveoli and capillary blood, across which gas exchange occurs.

Henry's Law

The amount of gas that dissolves in a liquid at a given temperature is proportional to the partial pressure of that gas.

Perfusion

The passage of blood through vessels to a particular organ or tissue, important for gas exchange in the lungs.

Diffusion-limited

A condition where gas transfer does not reach equilibrium due to difficulties in gas movement across the alveolar-capillary membrane.

Perfusion-limited

A condition where oxygen transfer is primarily dependent on blood flow past alveoli.