GAS EXCHANGE
Dr. Hafiz Muhammad Zubair
What is the aim of
respiration?
Remove CO2 from Deliver O2 to tissues
tissues
Four processes help respiration achieve
its goal… What are they?
1 Pulmonary ventilation
Inflow & outflow of air
between atmosphere &
lung alveoli
2 Gas diffusion 4
Movement of O2 & Regulation
CO2 between
alveoli & blood
3 Gas transport
The alveolus is
the gas exchange Transport of O2 & CO2 in
site in respiratory blood and body fluids to
system tissue cells
Pulmonary ventilation
Mechanism of Ventilation
Inspiration
Contraction of
inspiratory muscles
↑ chest volume
↓ IPP (more negative)
-7.5 cm H2O
↑ TPP
(Palv – IPP = 0-[-7.5]=+7.5 cm H2O)
Lung (alveoli) expand
(↓ Palv to -1 cm H2O)
PB > Palv
Air moves from atmosphere into
the lungs
Expiration
Relaxation of
inspiratory muscles
↓ chest volume
↑ IPP (less negative)
-5 cm H2O
↓ TPP
(Palv – IPP = 0-[-5]=+5 cm H2O)
Lung (alveoli) will recoil to
preinspiratory volume
(↑ Palv to +1 cm H2O)
Palv > PB
Air moves out from lungs into the
atmosphere
Under normal resting conditions,
How much air moves in or 500 ml
out of the lung during this
process (ventilation)? (3500ml- exercise )
What is it called? Tidal volume
12 breaths/min(6L/min)Rest
40 breaths/min(42L/min)Exercise
What happens to the TV when it
enters the respiratory passages?
The volume of air occupying the
conductive zone is around 150ml
This is called “Anatomical dead
space”.
VD
VA
TV = VD + VA
What happens to the TV when it
enters the respiratory passages?
What are the Partial Pressures of O2
& CO2 in Inspired & Expired Air?
• 1st we define pressure.
• Pressure is force exerted by a fluid (gas/liquid) per unit area.
• Atmospheric pressure = the force per unit area exerted by the
weight of the atmosphere = 760 mmHg = 1 atm (at sea level).
• Atmospheric dry air is a gas mixture composed of;
• N2 = 78.06%
• O2 = 20.98% ≈ 21%
• CO2 = 0.04%
Partial Pressures of Gases
• In a gas mixture, the pressure exerted by any one gas in the
mixture is equal to the total pressure of all gases in the mixture
X the fractional concentration of that gas in the mixture = Partial
pressure (P)
• PO2 = 760 mmHg X 21% ≈ 160 mmHg.
• Can you calculate the PN2 and PCO2 at sea level?
What Happens to PO2 and PCO2 as
Inspired Air Passes Through the
Respiratory Tract?
Atmospheric air
Air gets humidified as
PO2 = 160 mmHg it passes through the
PCO2 = 0.3 mmHg airways
Humidified air
PO2 = 150 mmHg
PCO2 = 0.3 mmHg
The 350ml of TV that reaches
the alveoli mixes with the air
present there (FRC)
Alveolar air
PO2 = 104 mmHg
FRC PCO2 = 40 mmHg
Factors Affecting Alveolar PO2 and
PCO2
1. Rate of alveolar ventilation
2. Rate of absorption of O2 or excretion of CO2
At rest, 250ml of O2 are extracted by tissues At rest, 200ml of CO2 are excreted by tissues
at ventilatory rate of 4.2 L/min. at ventilatory rate of 4.2 L/min.
Ventilation is done and air has
reached the alveoli
What’s next?
Gas Diffusion from alveoli into
the blood
GAS EXCHANGE & GAS
TRANSFER
The Respiratory Unit
• Respiratory bronchioles +
alveolar ducts + alveoli. The
site of gas exchange in the
lungs.
• There are around 300 million
alveoli in humans.
• The total surface area ≈ 70m2
(area of a tennis court).
• The blood present in the
capillary bed at any time = 60-
140ml.
The Respiratory Membrane
• For gas to diffuse from alveoli to blood, it
should pass through the respiratory
membrane.
• What is it made of?
1. Layer of fluid.
2. Alveolar epithelium.
3. Epithelial BM.
4. +/- Thin interstitial
space.
5. Endothelial BM.
6. Capillary endothelial
membrane.
0.2-0.6 μm thick
Factors Affecting Gas Diffusion Across the
Membrane
1. Thickness of the membrane.
2. Membrane surface area.
3. Diffusion coefficient of the
gas.
• Depends on: gas solubility and
square root of the MW.
4. Partial pressure difference
of the gas between the two
sides of the membrane.
What Determines the Partial Pressure of a
Gas in a Liquid (Blood)
• According to Henry’s law;
• When a molecule has high solubility, far more can be dissolved
without building up excess partial pressure within a solution.
The solubility coefficient of
different gases.
What do you notice?
Diffusion of Oxygen
Diffusion of O2 from tissue
capillaries to tissues
Diffusion of O2 from alveoli to
pulmonary capillaries
Diffusion of Carbon Dioxide
Diffusion of CO2 from
pulmonary capillaries to alveoli
Diffusion of CO2 from tissues
to tissue capillaries
Dr.Aida Korish (
[email protected])
Dr.Aida Korish (
[email protected])
Summary
Thank you
