Gas Laws: Henry's Law and Graham's Law

Henry's Law

• At equilibrium, the amount of gas dissolved in a given volume of fluid at a given temperature is directly proportional to the partial pressure of the gas.
• This law applies to the transfer of gases from the alveoli into the plasma in pulmonary capillaries and then into red blood cells (RBCs).

General Gas Law

• Gases move from an area of higher pressure to an area of lower pressure.

Graham's Law of Diffusion

• The rate of diffusion of two gases is inversely proportional to the square root of their molecular weights.
• This law explains how gases diffuse through a medium, such as air or water.

Dalton's Law of Partial Pressure

• The pressure exerted by a gas in a mixture of gases is the same as the pressure it would exert if it were the only gas present.
• This law applies to the behavior of gases in a mixture, such as the air we breathe.

Boyle's Law

• Changes in intrapulmonary pressure occur as a result of changes in lung volume.
• The pressure of a gas is inversely proportional to its volume.
• When lung volume increases, intrapulmonary pressure decreases, allowing air to enter the lungs.
• When lung volume decreases, intrapulmonary pressure increases above atmospheric pressure, causing air to leave the lungs.