BIO 132 – Anatomy and Physiology II

LECTURE 9:  PHYSIOLGY OF THE RESPIRATORY SYSTEM: LUNG MECHANICS AND ALVEOLAR VENTILATION

Study Outline

 

9.1.  Boyle’s Law:

a.       According to Boyle’s Law, for a closed container at constant temperature, a decrease in the volume of the container will result in a(n) ______________________________ in pressure.  Conversely, an increase in volume will result in a ________________________________ in pressure.

b.      Applied to the lung, inspiration involves reducing alveolar pressure to ________________________________ pressures.  This is accomplished by increasing alveolar _____________________________________.

c.       Alveoli don’t expand on their own but instead only in response to forces acting on them, in this case supplied by ___________________________.

 

9.2.  Muscles of Respiration:

a.       The main muscle of inspiration is the ____________________________ which when contracted increases ____________________________ volume.

b.      The other muscles of inspiration are the _____________________________ which _________________________ and _____________________ the ribs.

c.       During quiet breathing, expiration is ________________________________.

d.      Active (forced) expiration involves the _______________________ muscles and the _______________________________; the latter depress the ribcage ________________________________.

 

9.3.  Events within the Alveolus:

a.       Alveoli expand in response to a ____________________________ pressure that acts across their walls.

b.      The transmural pressure gradient is determined from the ___________________________________________ minus the ___________________________________________.

c.       Even at end-expiration, the intrapleural pressure is _____________________, due to the interaction between the _______________________________ and ___________________________________.

d.      At end-expiration, the inward ______________________________ is equal in magnitude to the outward ________________________________.  Alveolar pressure is equal to ____________________________ and there is no airflow. 

e.       At end-expiration, if the intrapleural pressure is –5 cmH2O, then the transmural gradient is equal to ____________________________________.

f.        During inspiration, the muscles of inspiration contract which makes the ____________________________ volume larger.  This in turn increases the ___________________________ gradient and alveoli expand.  At this point, alveolar pressure is ______________________________ than atmospheric.

g.       During inspiration, the outward elastic recoil of the chest wall is ________________________________ and the inward elastic recoil of the lung is __________________________________ relative to end-expiration.

h.       During expiration, the inward elastic recoil of the lung causes alveolar volume to _____________________________ which raises ____________________ pressure above atmospheric.

i.         During expiration, airflow continues until alveolar pressure is equal to ______________________________.

 

9.4.  Compliance of the Lung:

a.       Compliance is defined as the _______________________________ over the __________________________________.  Lungs with high compliance have ________________________________ slopes on the pressure-volume curve.

b.      Restrictive lung diseases like fibrosis involve a ________________________ in lung compliance.  The elastic recoil of these lungs are __________________________________________ than a normal lung.

c.       Obstructive lung diseases like emphysema involve a ____________________ in lung compliance.  The elastic recoil of these lungs are ________________________________________ than a normal lung.

 

9.5.  Surfactant: 

a.       Surface tension forces arise because the forces between molecules of a liquid are stronger than those between the _____________________________ and the __________________________________.  Surface tension forces _____________________________ the elastic recoil of the lung and therefore ____________________________________ the compliance.

b.      Surface tension forces are reduced by the presence of __________________ secreted by ________________________________ cells within the alveolus.

c.       Surfactant secretion is not fully functional until the 7th month in utero so that premature infants have difficulty expanding their lungs in a condition called _______________________________ syndrome.  In adults, a lack of surfactant is called ____________________________________ syndrome.

 

9.6.  Interaction of the Lung and Chest Wall:

a.       To function normally the inward elastic recoil of alveoli must be opposed by the ____________________________________ of the chest wall.

b.      During a pneumothorax, the chest wall moves _________________________ and the lungs _______________________.

 

9.7.  Airways Resistance:

a.       The magnitude of airflow depends on the ratio of the pressure gradient to the _________________________________.

b.      As the airway radius increases, the resistance _________________________.

c.       In the lower airways, most airways resistance is found in the ________________________.  Because the smallest airways are arranged in _________________________________, their total resistance to airflow is _________________________________.

d.      Contraction of smooth muscle surrounding airways will _________________ airways resistance.

e.       Stimulation of sympathetic nerves leads to a(n) _______________________ in airways resistance, whereas stimulation of parasympathetic nerves  leads to a(n) __________________ in airways resistance.

f.        You would want to administer ____________________ to a person suffering from an asthma attack.

 

9.8.  Lung Volumes and Capacities:

a.       A __________________________ is a device for measuring lung volumes.  But it can only measure those volumes that the subject can exchange with it.  This does not include the ____________________________________, _______________________________, and __________________________.

b.      The volume of air entering or leaving the nose or mouth per breath is called the ____________________________________.

c.       The volume of gas inhaled during a normal maximal forced inspiration that begins at the end of a tidal inspiration is called the _______________________________________.

d.      The volume of gas expelled from the lungs during a maximal forced expiration that starts at the end of a tidal expiration is called the ________________________________________.

e.       The volume of gas left in the lungs after a maximal forced expiration is called the _____________________________________.

f.        The volume of gas remaining in the lungs at the end of a normal tidal expiration is called the ____________________________________.

g.       The volume of air inhaled into the lungs during a maximal inspiratory effort that begins at the end of a normal tidal expiration is called the _______________________________________.

h.       The volume of air expelled from the lungs during a maximal forced inspiration is called the ________________________________________.

i.         The volume of air in the lungs after a maximal inspiratory effort is called the _____________________________________________.

j.        Restrictive diseases tend to ______________________ lung volumes whereas obstructive disease tend to _____________________________ lung volumes.

 

9.9.  Alveolar Ventilation:

a.       The volume of air that enters and leaves the nose per minute is called the ___________________________________. 

b.      The alveolar ventilation does not equal the minute volume because of the ____________________________________.

c.       Thus the alveolar ventilation is equal to the ________________________ minus the ________________________.

d.      The most effective way to increase alveolar ventilation for a given minute ventilation is to increase the ______________________________.