Gas Exchange exam Flashcards

The process by which oxygen enters the bloodstream and carbon dioxide is expelled, primarily occurring in the alveoli of the lungs.

Tiny air sacs in the lungs where gas exchange occurs.

Surface area, distance, and partial pressure differences.

A protein in red blood cells that transports oxygen and exhibits cooperative binding.

A graph that shows the relationship between the partial pressure of oxygen and the saturation of hemoglobin.

A rightward shift of the oxygen dissociation curve due to lower pH or higher carbon dioxide levels, facilitating oxygen delivery to tissues.

A muscle that plays a crucial role in breathing by creating negative pressure in the thoracic cavity.

The volume of air inhaled and exhaled during normal breathing.

The portion of the respiratory system where air does not participate in gas exchange, such as the trachea and bronchi.

The maximum volume of air that can be inhaled and exhaled.

The volume of air remaining in the lungs after a forced exhalation.

The hypothetical pressure of a gas if it alone occupied the volume of the mixture at the same temperature.

Partial pressure differences.

Describes the rate of diffusion of gases, influenced by surface area, distance, and partial pressure differences.

The property where the binding of one oxygen molecule makes it easier to bind subsequent oxygen molecules.

A method of breathing where air is pushed into the lungs, as seen in frogs.

A method of breathing where air is pulled into the lungs by creating negative pressure in the thoracic cavity.

It contains pH detectors that regulate ventilation based on the acidity of the blood.

Formed when carbon dioxide combines with water in the blood, lowering pH and facilitating the Bohr shift.

The partial pressure of gases decreases, although their composition remains the same.

A metabolic pathway that produces carbon dioxide as a byproduct, which is then expelled during gas exchange.

It indicates cooperative binding, where hemoglobin's affinity for oxygen increases as more oxygen binds.

It lowers hemoglobin's affinity for oxygen, facilitating oxygen unloading in tissues.

A factor that increases the rate of gas diffusion; more surface area allows for more efficient gas exchange.

A factor that affects the rate of gas diffusion; shorter distances increase the rate of diffusion.

Mitochondria use oxygen as the final electron acceptor in the electron transport chain and produce CO₂ as a byproduct.

Lower pH decreases hemoglobin's affinity for oxygen, promoting oxygen release to tissues.