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Questions and Answers
What does a high absorption coefficient (A) signify?
In the liquid phase, what does the proportionality constant A depend on?
What happens to gas solubility as temperature increases and salinity rises?
What drives the diffusion of gases in aqueous solution?
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Why can small aquatic insects take a bubble of air underwater when they dive?
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When O2 is taken up by the blood, where does it first dissolve?
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What is the role of ventilation in maintaining gas exchange surfaces?
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What relationship exists between the dissolved concentration of a gas (Cx) and the partial pressure of the gas (Px) in the gas phase?
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How does perfusion contribute to gas exchange?
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What does Fick's law state about gas exchange systems?
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Why is ventilation considered active in some animals?
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How does partial pressure gradient affect diffusion across gas exchange surfaces?
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What is the main reason birds can maintain a blood PO2 slightly below the environmental air?
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Why is ventilation in birds considered energetically inexpensive compared to mammals?
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What type of airflow mechanism is present in air-breathing vertebrates other than birds?
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Why does mixing with stale air in mammals during tidal breathing lower the PO2 gradient?
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What characteristic of animal lungs contributes to efficient gas exchange?
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In mammals, what is an important function of upper airways prior to gas exchange?
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What is the function of the conducting zone in the mammalian respiratory system?
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Where does gas exchange occur in the mammalian respiratory system?
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Which cells produce surfactant in the mammalian respiratory system?
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What is the role of surfactant in the mammalian respiratory system?
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Why is the final respiratory airway almost motionless in terms of gas movement?
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What is the main purpose of having a large gas exchange surface area in mammalian respiratory adaptations?
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What is the primary factor that the rate of gas diffusion according to Fick's law depends on?
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In the context of gas diffusion, where does the net movement of gas occur?
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Which factor contributes to the rate at which a gas diffuses between two locations in Fick's law?
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What does Fick's law state about the diffusion rates of respiratory gases?
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What is the role of Fick's law in tissues regarding the rate of diffusion of any substance in the interstitial fluid?
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Which component in Fick's law incorporates factors like temperature, diffusing substance, and medium?
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Study Notes
Fick's Law and Gas Exchange
- Fick's law applies to all systems of gas exchange, stating that the rate of diffusion (Q) depends on the diffusion coefficient (D), area (A), partial pressure difference (P1 - P2), and distance (L) between two locations.
- Fick's law helps explain animal adaptations that influence respiratory gas exchange.
Partial Pressure Gradients
- Partial pressure gradients drive diffusion across gas exchange surfaces.
- Ventilation and perfusion maximize partial pressure gradients.
- In ventilation, a high PO2 is maintained, while in perfusion, a low PO2 is maintained.
Ventilation
- Ventilation is the bulk flow of air or water to and from the gas exchange membrane during breathing.
- Ventilation can be active (requiring energy) or passive (by diffusion).
- Types of ventilation include unidirectional, tidal, and bidirectional.
Mammalian Respiratory System
- The mammalian respiratory system has two major areas: the conducting zone (moving gases to and from the atmosphere and lungs) and the respiratory zone (where gases are exchanged).
- The tracheobronchial tree, including trachea, bronchi, and bronchioles, makes up the conducting zone.
- The respiratory zone includes alveoli, where gases are exchanged through diffusion.
Alveoli and Gas Exchange
- Alveoli are the sites of gas exchange, where O2 and CO2 are transported through diffusion.
- The distance (L) between alveoli and blood capillaries is short, allowing for efficient diffusion.
- Surfactant, produced by Type II pneuomocytes, reduces surface tension and prevents alveoli from collapsing during exhalation.
Mammalian Respiratory Adaptations
- Mammalian adaptations include a large gas exchange surface area (A) due to extensive branching in the respiratory zone.
- Other adaptations compensate for tidal ventilation, ensuring efficient gas exchange.
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Description
Test your understanding of Henry's Law which describes the relationship between the partial pressure of a gas and its solubility in a liquid. Explore how to use the absorption coefficient to calculate the dissolved concentration of a gas in solution.
