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Compliance
The ability of the lungs to stretch and expand in response to pressure changes during breathing.
Transpulmonary pressure
The pressure difference between the alveoli and the pleural cavity that keeps the lungs inflated.
Surface tension
The force that tends to collapse alveoli due to the attraction of water molecules in the alveolar fluid.
Surfactant
A substance that reduces surface tension in the alveoli, preventing their collapse and increasing lung compliance.
Airway resistance
The hindrance to airflow in the respiratory passageways, influenced mainly by the radius of the airways.
Poiseuille’s law
A formula describing the relationship between airway resistance, length, gas viscosity, and radius of the tube.
Dynamic Airway Compression
The phenomenon where airway resistance increases during expiration due to the recoil of the lung and chest wall.
Bernoulli principle
States that as airflow enters a constriction, linear velocity increases, causing pressure to decrease.
Ventilation-Perfusion (VA/Q) ratio
The matching of ventilation and perfusion in the lungs, crucial for efficient gas exchange.
Dead space
The portion of air that does not participate in gas exchange, leading to inefficient oxygenation of blood.
Venous Admixture
Units with no ventilation but normal perfusion, contributing to venous admixture.
Respiratory Dead Space
Units with normal ventilation but no perfusion, becoming part of the respiratory dead space.
Diffusion Factors
Anatomical features like high surface area to volume ratio and high vascularity facilitate effective gas diffusion.
Partial Pressure Gradient
Normal values for PO2 and PCO2 across the respiratory membrane are 40 mm Hg and 45 mm Hg, respectively.
Oxygen Transport
Only 3% of oxygen travels dissolved in the blood, while 97% is transported in chemical combination with hemoglobin.
Hemoglobin
Protein with four polypeptide chains, each capable of binding with up to four oxygen molecules.
Oxygen-Hb Dissociation Curve
Shows the relationship between PO2 and hemoglobin saturation, influencing oxygen loading and unloading.
Bohr Effect
Describes how CO2 and H+ affect hemoglobin's affinity for oxygen, influencing oxygen release at tissues and lungs.
Carbon Dioxide Transport
CO2 is carried in three forms:dissolved in plasma, bound to hemoglobin, and as bicarbonate ions.
Hypercapnia
Elevated PaCO2, which can result from reduced alveolar ventilation or increased CO2 production without compensatory changes in ventilation.
Ventilation-Perfusion Mismatch
Discrepancy in airflow and blood flow distribution in the lungs due to gravity, leading to varying V/Q ratios across lung regions.
V/Q Ratio
Ratio of ventilation (V) to perfusion (Q) in the lungs, influencing gas exchange efficiency.
Apex vs
Variances in intrapleural pressure, alveolar size, compliance, and ventilation between the top (apex) and bottom (base) of the lungs.
Central Chemoreceptors
Neurons in the medulla sensitive to changes in CO2 and H+ levels, regulating breathing based on chemical stimuli.
Peripheral Chemoreceptors
Receptors in carotid and aortic bodies responding to changes in PO2, PCO2, and H+ levels to modulate ventilation.
Resting Membrane Potential
Voltage difference across a cell membrane due to ion movement, crucial for cell function and signaling.
Voltage and Potential Difference
Energy per charged particle and voltage measurement between two points, akin to mass in a gravitational field.
Ohm's Law
Relationship between voltage (V), current (I), and resistance (R) in an electrical circuit, crucial for understanding electrical properties.
Equilibrium Potential
The voltage at which the flow of an ion into and out of a cell is equal, determined by the ion concentration inside and outside the cell, ion charge, and temperature.
Nernst Equation
An equation used to calculate the equilibrium potential of an ion based on factors like ion valence, temperature, and concentration gradients.
Resting Membrane Potential
The average of equilibrium potentials for all ions in a cell, weighted by ion channel conductance, determining the cell's voltage at rest.
Action Potential
The rapid change in membrane potential of a cell, involving depolarization by Na+ influx and repolarization by K+ efflux, essential for neuron signaling and muscle contraction synchronization.
Voltage-Gated Ion Channels
Channels that open in response to changes in membrane potential, such as sodium channels during depolarization and potassium channels during repolarization in an action potential.
Relative Refractory Period
A period after an action potential where the cell is hyperpolarized and less excitable, requiring stronger stimuli to reach threshold, before returning to resting potential.
Synaptic Cleft
The small gap (20nm wide) between the presynaptic terminal and the postsynaptic cell where neurotransmitter release occurs.
Ca2+ Influx
The entry of calcium ions into the cell, triggering synaptic release, with a time delay as brief as 100μs.
Synaptotagmin
The calcium sensor of the vesicle that initiates exocytosis upon activation by calcium.
SNARE Complex
A group of proteins that tether the vesicle to the membrane and facilitate release upon synaptotagmin activation.
Glutamate
The primary excitatory neurotransmitter in the brain, derived from glutamine and chemically similar to MSG.
Glutamate Receptors
Proteins that respond to glutamate, including AMPA/KA receptors, NMDA receptors, and metabotropic glutamate receptors.
GABA
Gamma-aminobutyric acid, an inhibitory neurotransmitter derived from glutamine, acting on GABAA and GABAB receptors.
GABAA Receptors
Ligand-gated Cl- channels found on postsynaptic terminals, hyperpolarizing the cell upon activation by GABA.
GABAB Receptors
Metabotropic receptors found pre- and postsynaptically, inhibiting neurotransmitter release and hyperpolarizing the cell.
Neurotransmitter Clearance
The removal of neurotransmitters from the synapse through enzymatic degradation or transporters to maintain low extracellular concentrations.
Parasympathetic Nervous System (PSNS)
Division of the autonomic nervous system responsible for periods of maintenance, conservation, and rebuilding in the body.
Dual control
Mechanism optimizing the body's performance to suit its needs by activating either the Sympathetic Nervous System (SNS) or the PSNS based on circumstances.
Autonomic reflexes
Quick corrective responses enabled by sensory inputs feeding into the autonomic nervous system (ANS).
Ganglion
Site where two neurons synapse in the ANS, located outside the central nervous system (CNS).
Smooth Muscle
Effector cells in the body that produce slow, prolonged contractions ideal for maintaining key bodily functions.
Neurotransmitters
Chemical messengers like acetylcholine and adrenaline/noradrenaline used in the ANS to transmit signals between neurons and target tissues.
Nicotinic receptors
Ionotropic receptors activated by acetylcholine in the ANS, playing a role in both the SNS and PSNS at the first synapse.
Muscarinic receptors
Metabotropic receptors activated by acetylcholine in the ANS, mediating many parasympathetic functions.
Autonomic reflexes
Rapid corrective responses to sensory events in the ANS, classified into short and long reflexes.
Cardiomyocyte
Excitable heart muscle cell responsible for coordinated contraction and relaxation in the heart.
Cardiomyocytes
Cells responsible for the contraction of the heart chambers, joined end-to-end at intercalated disks.
Gap junctions
Pores located at intercalated disks allowing the propagation of action potentials from cell to cell.
Functional syncytium
The ability of action potentials to spread like a wave throughout the heart chamber, depolarizing all cells.
Nernst Equation
Mathematical formula to calculate the equilibrium potential of ions based on their concentrations inside and outside the cell.
Pacemaker cells
Specialized cardiac cells that generate action potentials automatically at regular intervals.
Excitation-contraction coupling
Process where calcium influx leads to muscle contraction in cardiomyocytes.
Refractory period
Period during which a cardiomyocyte cannot be stimulated to generate another action potential.
Tetanic Contractions
Continuous contractions due to repeated stimulation, not desirable in the heart to allow relaxation and filling.
Autonomic Nervous System
Modulates heart rate and force of contraction through parasympathetic (PNS) and sympathetic (SNS) inputs.
Cardiac Output
Volume of blood ejected by the heart per minute, matching the venous return to maintain a closed circulatory system.
Cardiac Output (CO)
The volume of blood pumped by the heart in a minute, calculated as the product of stroke volume (SV) and heart rate (HR), typically measured in mL/min or L/min.
Venous Return
The flow of blood back to the heart, influenced by factors like venous constriction, blood volume, gravity, and muscle contraction.
Stroke Volume (SV)
The amount of blood ejected into the pulmonary artery or aorta per heartbeat, usually measured in mL/beat.
Heart Rate (HR)
The number of times the heart beats per minute, measured in beats/min.
Frank-Starling Mechanism
The intrinsic property of the heart muscle where the degree of stretch (preload) influences the force of contraction, ensuring that venous return matches stroke volume and cardiac output.
Afterload
The force against which the heart works during ejection, related to aortic pressure and ventricular wall stress.
Contractility
The performance of the heart muscle in generating force during contraction, independent of preload and afterload, also known as inotropy.
Mean Arterial Blood Pressure (MAP)
The average pressure in the arteries during a cardiac cycle, determined by cardiac output and total peripheral resistance, crucial for organ perfusion assessment.
Mean Arterial Pressure (MAP)
The average blood pressure in a person's blood vessels during a single cardiac cycle, crucial for organ perfusion.
Baroreceptors
Sensors that detect changes in blood pressure, located in the aorta and carotid arteries, regulating vasoconstriction and vasodilation.
Chemoreceptors
Sensors that monitor blood O2, CO2, and pH levels, located in the aortic and carotid bodies, influencing heart rate and blood vessel constriction.
Ohm's Law
Describes blood flow from high to low pressure during ventricular systole, a fundamental principle in hemodynamics.
Poiseuille's Law
States that resistance to blood flow is inversely proportional to the 4th power of vessel radius, directly proportional to vessel length and blood viscosity.
Resistance Vessels
Arterioles within tissues/organs that control blood flow by altering their radius, impacting resistance to flow.
Autoregulation
Mechanisms like myogenic and metabolic responses that maintain stable blood flow in organs despite changes in systemic blood pressure.
Cardiac Output
The total systemic blood flow, summing blood flow to all organs, regulated by parallel organ circulations and tissue demands for blood/nutrients.
Local flow regulation
In critical organs like the brain and heart, local flow regulation maintains perfusion, while in other organs like the skin and gut, SNS regulation leads to vasoconstriction and reduced perfusion.
Arterial system
Major distributing arteries branch into smaller vessels until they become capillaries, which then join to form veins returning blood to the heart.
Aortic function
The aorta dampens pulsatile pressure, with its compliance allowing it to stretch during systole and recoil during diastole, controlled by stretch receptors activating local reflexes.
Arterioles and small arteries
Arterioles regulate arterial blood pressure and blood flow within organs, responding to autonomic nerves and hormones by constricting or dilating.
Capillary functions
Capillaries facilitate nutrient exchange between blood and tissues, with pericytes regulating blood flow in individual capillaries.
Starling's forces
Movement of solutes across capillaries depends on the balance of hydrostatic and osmotic pressure, determining the net filtration pressure and capillary permeability.
Venous system
Veins contain valves for unidirectional blood flow, serving as capacitance vessels regulating blood volume and pressure, with the skeletal muscle venous pump aiding venous return.
Lymphatic system
Lymph vessels parallel systemic circulation, collecting excess interstitial fluid and returning it to the systemic circulation, preventing oedema and maintaining blood volume.
Regulation of lymphatic flow
Lymph flow rate is controlled by the balance between fluid delivery at capillaries and removal by lymphatics, with factors like capillary permeability and hydrostatic pressure affecting oedema formation.
Urinary System
Includes organs involved in the formation, storage, and release of urine, such as kidneys, ureters, bladder, and urethra.
Excretory Functions
Involves the elimination of metabolic waste, body water balance, electrolyte balance, blood pressure regulation, and acid-base balance.
Filtration
Process where blood is filtered from glomerular capillaries into Bowman’s capsule through a filtration barrier.
Reabsorption
Movement of fluid/solute from nephron tubules back into the body.
Secretion
Movement of fluid/solute from peritubular capillaries into the tubular network.
Glomerular Filtration Rate (GFR)
Rate at which filtrate is formed by nephrons, typically around 125ml/min in a healthy adult.
Renal Autoregulation
Intrinsic mechanism to maintain constant blood flow and GFR despite changes in systemic blood pressure.
Myogenic Mechanism
Fast-acting mechanism accounting for about 50% of renal autoregulation.
Tubulo-glomerular Feedback Mechanism
Slower mechanism accounting for about 35-40% of renal autoregulation.
Principles of Tubular Handling
Processes of reabsorption and secretion for movement of substances within the nephron.
K+ Excretion
Kidney can reduce reabsorption of K+ from filtrate and activate tubular secretion for further K+ excretion.