gas exchange

how does pressure gradient affect the efficiency of gas exchange?

the greater the pressure difference, the more rapid the gas exchange.

how does solubility affect the efficiency of gas exchange?

movement of individual gases depend on their individual solubility in water. the more soluble, the faster the rate of diffusion.

how does membrane thickness affect the efficiency of gas exchange?

the thinner the membrane, the faster the gas diffuses.

how does membrane area affect the efficiency of gas exchange?

the amount of gas exchange is directly proportional to the contact surface between the blood and the alveoli air.

how does ventilation-perfusion coupling affect the efficiency of gas exchange?

the amount of gas that participates in gas exchange in the lungs needs to match the rate of perfusion. to work well, each alveolus needs enough air coming in (ventilation) and enough blood flowing past (perfusion).

why does foetal Hb have a higher affinity for oxygen at partial pressures?

so the developing foetus can get oxygen easily from the mother’s bloodstream

what is the bohr shift?

when the oxygen dissociation curve shifts right because increased levels of carbon dioxide have lowered the pH

how is carbon dioxide transported into the blood?

chloride shift

bound to Hb

dissolved in plasma

what is respiratory acidosis?

when the blood becomes acidic as the lungs can’t remove enough carbon dioxide

what is respiratory alkalosis?

when the blood becomes alkali as the lungs remove too much carbon dioxide, caused by hyperventilation

what is cooperative binding?

facilitates the uptake of a second oxygen molecule.

a T-R state is triggered by the first binding of oxygen, causing a change in shape of the subunit that carries the oxygen