Lab 8-Human Respiratory System Physiology

• Buffer


  Used to moderate changes in pH
• Inspiration


  Movement of air into the lungs
• Expiration


  Movement of air out of the lungs
• Tidal volume


  The amount of gas inspired or expired during a normal ventilation cycle
• Inspiratory reserve volume


  The maximum amount volume of gas than can be forceful inhaled after normal inhalation
• Expiratory reserve volume


  The maximum amount of volume of gas that can be forcefully exhaled after normal exhalation
• Residual volume


  The amount of gas left in lungs the after a forced exhalation, the volume of air always present in lungs
• Vital capacity


  The maximum amount of air that can be voluntarily moved in and out of the respiratory system (IRV, ERV, TV)
• Total lung capacity


  The total amount of air that your lungs can hold after maximum (forced) inhalation, so it includes residual volume and vital capacity, so everything
• Minute volume


  The amount of breaths per minute
• Blow out birthday candles


  1. Tidal volume will be used/increased to take a deep breath in

  2. IRV will increase to inhale max amount so you can blow out

  3. ERV will increase to exhale the max amount to blow out the actual candles
• Go for a run

  1. Tidal Volume will increase to take deep breaths while exercising & expel more CO2

  2. IRV will probably decrease because breathing rate goes up and is shallow so might not need the range

  3. ERV will will probably decrease because breathing rate goes up and is shallow so might not need the range
• High blood CO2


  Body attempts to eliminate excess CO2 by increasing breathing rate and depth to expel more CO2
• Low blood CO2


  Body is efficiently eliminating CO2 so it would be slower/shallow breathing, there's less need to stimulate breathing as much
• High blood O2


  Does not really affect respiratory rate
• Low blood O2


  Body tries to compensate by increasing breathing rate to take more oxygen in from inhaled air
• High blood CO2


  Moves equation forward, CO2 is released down as a waste product when we breathe and an acid is a result of that, so with high amounts of CO2 you will have have amounts of acid in blood, and when you have high amounts of acid in blood your pH is low (acidic) which prompts an increase in breathing rate to expel more CO2
• Low blood CO2


  Moves equation backward, CO2 is released down as a waste product when we breathe and an acid is a result of that, but in this case you are not getting as much CO2, you have low amounts of CO2, so low amounts of acid in blood which means you pH is high (too basic) which prompts a decrease in breathing rate to get back to normal pH levels
• Aquatic animals' breathing rate is controlled by their oxygen levels, with low levels increasing their respiration rate
• Terrestrial animals' breathing rate is controlled by the carbon dioxide and acids levels in blood which determine the pH of blood which would control if you want to breathe more or less
• Restrictive airway disease


  • Hard to inhale, can't expand lungs
  • Tidal Volume decreases
  • IRV increases
  • Breathing Rate increases
  • Vital Capacity decreases
• Obstructive airway disease


  • Hard to exhale
  • Tidal Volume unchanged/slight decreases
  • Residual Volume increases
  • ERV increases
  • Breathing Rate increases
  • Vital Capacity decreases
• While breathing into the bag, the bag accumulates CO2. Because of this, the partial pressure gradient for getting rid of CO2 is not as favorable, so it's harder for you to get rid of CO2 and your breathing rate will increase
• Hyperventilation decreases CO2 levels as you are breathing deeper and slower, so now you have low amounts of CO2 so the blood becomes too basic (pH is high), so it suppresses the urge to breathe
• Hyperventilate & Breath Hold time would be shorter than normal because your body got rid of a lot of CO2 in short time, so body does not have urge to breathe, and body has no O2, so your body is relaying on what it does not have, CO2 so you will hold your breath for short periods
• Run in place & Breath Hold would be shorter because a lot of glucose is used, glucose uses energy that requires O2, so breathing rate is sped up to deliver more O2. More CO2 is produced as you exercise, which you want to expel. So the body needs O2 and has too much CO2, so the when you hold your breath after exercise, the body can't hold it long since it is begging for O2 and too let go of CO2
• It takes a shorter amount of time to turn the solution clear after exercise because you produced more CO2, and more CO2 means more acid, the NaOH turns clear in acidic environments, so when you breathe into the solution after exercise you more acid at a faster rate to turn the solution clear, also deeper breaths would give same effect