Spring Exam 4 Flashcards
how does the presence of H20 affect partial pressures
H20 decreases partial pressures!
- as we breath in we humidfy the air
- water vapor is independent of altitude–> fxn of temp
describe the conducting airways
- Trachea and bronchi (cartilagenous) and bronchiolies (membranous)
- conduit for air to alveoli, not do engage in gas exchange –> anatomical dead space
- each branch is a generation
- made of SmM. (can contract and relax)
- can hold ~150mL
describe the gas exchange airways
- resp. bronchioles and alveoli
- where gas exchange occurs
- LOTS of generation –> LARGE SA
- can hold 1500-3000mL
- intimate w/ vasculature
where is air flow resistance greatest in the system?
at the front of the airway (lowest at alveoli)
*most resistance is seen where pressure drop is greatest (6th generation- at level of arterioles)
where is mass air flow greatest in the system?
greatest at large airways
-velocity decreases in the periphery
normal breathing at any level (subject to change)
TV
-the maximal volume of air that can be exhaled from the end-expiratory position
- volume remaining in the lungs
- volume of air capable of being expired
ERV
volume remaining in lungs after ERV
RV
*cannot be measured w/ spirometry
ability to inhale to max inspired volume
IRV
sum of all volumes
TLC
force VC is the sum of what
ERV + TV + IRV
*inhale as deeply as you can and then blow out as fast as you can
volume left in lungs following normal breathing
FRC
___ is subject to change but ___ does not change
TV is subject to change
RV does not change (unless w/ some pathological conditions)
what muscles are involved w/ inspiration and expiration?
inspiration: diaphragm (increase chest dimension), external intercostals (elevate ribs)
expiration: internal intercostals (depress ribs), abdominal ribs (compress abdomen)
* more muscles used in active breathing
describe the lungs at rest
- pleural space is neg press. (subatmospheric)
- elastic outward recoil of chest wall is equal and opposite of elastic inward recoil of lungs
- at FRC (recoils balanced)
- muscles at rest
- no airflow
- pressure of gas in alveoli = pressure in airway opening
describe the lungs during inspiration
- muscles contract due to phrenic n. –> thoracic volume expands
- pleural space becomes more neg.
- lungs expand–> pressure drops in alveoli (more neg.)
- pressure at airway is same and more neg at alveoli –> air moves INWARD w/ gradient (neg. pressure breathing)
describe the lungs during expiration
- muscles relax
- recoil of lung causes alveolar pressure to exceed pressure at airway–> more + pressure in alveoli
- air flows OUT due to gradient
* expiration is passive
what is hysteresis
when you take a lung and apply positive pressure to the airway opening (OR negative pressure to the pleural surfaces via expansion of chest wall) you see that the change in volume of the lung is initially very small. As pressures continue to increase, however you will find that the volume will begin to expand more rapidly
*due to surface tension
It develops due to the larger attractant forces between adjacent molecules at the air liquid interface compared with the molecules lower down in the body of fluid.
surface tension
how does LaPlace’s law relate to surface tension?
pressure w/in an alveoli is directly proportional to the Tension and inversely proportional to the alveoli radius
- small alveoli= higher tension= more pressure
- larger alveoli= lower tension= less pressure
what is the purpose of surfactant as it relates to surface tension
surfactant coats alveoli and prevents surface tension from getting high enough to allow alveoli to collapse
*makes ST increase w/ radius NOT tension
describe babies first breath
- born they have very small alveoli with very high surface tension–>require a huge pressure to combat that surface tension and open up the alveoli.
- use substantial inspiratory m. to expand the thoracic cavity and create a large neg. pleural press. around -45–>pulls the alveoli open against its high internal ST and press.–> press. in the alveoli drops and air will rush in and fill alveoli
- When surfactant is around it will coat the alveoli so that the subsequent inhalations become easier by decreasing surface tension exhibited by alveoli
describe FRC at the end of a normal tidal breath
FRC is ~45% of TLC at the end of a normal tidal breath
how do we get the lungs to inflate (increase in volume)
apply a POSITIVE pressure at the airway opening
what is the chest walls pressure when it is at 70% TLC?
0 cm H20
when is the pressure neg. and positive in the chest wall??
we exist ~ 40% TLC therefore anything less than 70% is neg pressure. and when we are above 70% the lungs are pressing on the chest wall outward creating positive pressure
what is FRC? (functional residual capacity)
the point when the outward recoil of the chest wall equals the inward recoil of the lungs
*at the end of normal tidal expiration
describe the forces when lungs are at RV
~12% TLC
- small inward force from lungs
- LARGE outward force from chest wall (wants to get to 70% TLC)
describe the forces when lungs are at FRC
~45% TLC
- equal inward and outward forces
describe the forces when lungs are at ~70% TLC
- no force from chest wall
- strong inward force from lungs (“wanting to get back to FRC)
what is a pneumothorax
breaching the integrity of the pleural space allowing atmospheric air into the pleural space
- lungs recoil in
- chest wall recoils outward
what happens to resistance as we move from TLC to RV?
resistance to flow (Raw) increases
*the relationship is hyperbolic–> R is slow to occur at first but rises quickly as you near RV
when is the resistance to flow the least?
when airways are inflated at TLC
what is FCV
amount of air exhaled from TLC to RV
The volume of air that can forcibly be blown out in one second after full inspiration. –> R to flow to get air out in the large airways
FEV1
A ratio of the volume of air expired in the first second over the total air expired during the spirometry test.
FEV1/FCV
*Average values vary but are between 80-120%. Predicted values can be calculated online and age, sex, height, weight, ethnicity all factor in.
This is the force of expiratory flow from 75% to 25% of TLC. In other words it looks at flow rate across 50% span of our TLC
FEF 25-75
*As the volume diminishes, resistance increases in the lung so the flow rate will slow.
asthma, chronic bronchitis, emphysema, and COPD are examples of what type of airway disease
obstructive
pulmonary fibrosis is what type of airway disease
restrictive
what is an obstructive airway disease and describe its impact on lung values
- problem getting air OUT of lungs (increase compliance)
- increase RV, and TLC
- decreased peak flow
- decreased FEV, FCV and low/normal FEV:FVC (less than 80%)
what is an restrictive airway disease and describe its impact on lung values
- problem getting air INTO lungs (decreased compliance)
- decreased TLC and peak flow
- decreased FEV, FVC, and high FEV:FVC (greater than 80%)
- pO2 of ambient air = __
- pO2 of inspired air = __
- pO2 of air at lungs = __
- pO2 in tissues = ___
- ambient air pO2= 160mmHg
- pO2= 150mmHg (adjusted for water)
- pO2 at lungs= 102 (due to ASD)
- pO2 in tissue = 40 (drop off O2 for metabolic use)
why is the pO2 different between alveoli/blood interface?
diminished due to reducing factors such as shunting and diffusion
PalvO2= 100mmHg
PaO2= 95mmHg
why is alevolar air different from inspired air?
ADS!
(compare minute ventilation (6L/min) with alveolar ventilation (4.5L/min))
- not all air entering the lungs end up in the alveoli due to ADS
alevolar ventilation is all about what?
CO2!!
**It is INVERSELY related to pCO2
NOT O2!!
The greater alveolar ventilation, the ___ the partial pressure of CO2 in alveoli. AND ___ we breath–> the ___ PCO2 will be.
-The PP in arterial blood will be represented in the lungs too
Lower
SLOWER
Higher
what is transit time?
the amount of time the cap. blood has to equilibriate with alveolar
-Cardiac Output dictates the TT
what dictates the TT
Cardiac output
- increase CO= increase blood flow= short TT
- decreased CO= slow blood flow= long TT
describe the TT in normal rest vs. exercise state
rest: ~0.6 sec. (long TT)
Exercise: ~0.25 sec. (short TT) *max equilibrium still reached
-O2 equilibrium is reached at ~0.2 sec
how does our system combat with a shorten TT w/ exercise?
exercise = increased CO= increased RR thus ventiliating the lungs more to combat short TT
how does pulmonary edema or infection affect TT?
increase the distance of diffusion–> increased TT needed to get good diffusion of O2 and equilibrate alveolar/capillary interface
*Ficks Law= net flux of a substance is a direct fxn of the area of diffusion
what is the VQ ratio?
- a measurement used to assess the efficiency and adequacy of the matching two variables. It is the ratio of air reaching the alveoli to the amount of blood reaching alveoli.
- The V/Q values vary depending on the position in the lung so we usually look at the whole lung to determine this ratio and the normal value is usually 0.8