wk6: gas exchange and transport

These flashcards cover key vocabulary and concepts related to gas exchange and transport in the respiratory system, essential for understanding respiratory physiology.

Gas Exchange

The process of exchanging oxygen and carbon dioxide between the alveoli and blood, primarily occurring in the lungs.

Partial Pressure Gradient

The difference in partial pressure of a gas between two areas, driving the diffusion of that gas.

Fick's Law

States diffusion is proportional to the surface area, partial pressure gradient, and permeability of the membrane, and inversely proportional to the thickness of the membrane.

Dalton's Law

Each gas in a mixture exerts its own independent pressure, known as its partial pressure.

Henry's Law

Describes how the amount of gas that dissolves in a liquid is proportional to its partial pressure.

Oxyhemoglobin

The compound formed when oxygen binds to hemoglobin.

Alveolar Air Blood Barrier

A thin barrier composed of alveolar type one cells and endothelial cells allowing for efficient gas exchange.

Cooperative Binding

The mechanism by which hemoglobin's ability to bind oxygen increases as more oxygen molecules bind.

Oxygen Hemoglobin Dissociation Curve

Graph showing the relationship between the partial pressure of oxygen and the percent saturation of hemoglobin.

Bohr Effect

The phenomenon where increased levels of carbon dioxide and decreased pH shift the oxygen hemoglobin dissociation curve to the right.

Carbonic Anhydrase

An enzyme that catalyzes the reaction of carbon dioxide and water to form carbonic acid.

Carbaminohemoglobin

The complex formed when carbon dioxide binds to hemoglobin.

Air Composition

Normal air is made up of approximately 79% nitrogen, 21% oxygen, and trace amounts of carbon dioxide.

Equilibrium in Gas Exchange

Occurs when the partial pressures of gases are equal on both sides of the alveolar air blood barrier.

Gas Transport in Blood

Involves the movement of gases, primarily oxygen and carbon dioxide, through the blood via hemoglobin and plasma.

Interstitial Fluid

The fluid in tissues that facilitates gas exchange between blood and cells.

Simple Diffusion

The process whereby gases move from areas of higher concentration (partial pressure) to areas of lower concentration without energy.