28/05/2015

Respiratory Physiology:
Gas Transport & Control of Breathing

GAS TRANSPORT

1
 28/05/2015

Oxygen transport in the blood

Hemoglobin increases oxygen

transport by blood

2
 28/05/2015

Oxygen–hemoglobin (O2–Hb)
dissociation (saturation) curve.

Shift of the curve

3
 28/05/2015

Physical factors alter hemoglobin’s

affinity for oxygen

• Bohr’s Effect

Maternal and fetal hemoglobin have

different oxygen-binding properties

4
 28/05/2015

The total oxygen content of arterial blood

depends on the amount of oxygen dissolved in
plasma and bound to hemoglobin

Carbon dioxide transport in the blood

5
 28/05/2015

CO2 dissociation curves

• Haldane’s effect

6
 28/05/2015

CONTROL OF BREATHING

Spontaneous respiration is produced by

rhythmic discharge of motor neurons that
innervate the respiratory muscles.

7
 28/05/2015

Respiratory system
• Nerve supply is essential in maintaining
breathing and in reflexly adjusting the level of
ventilation to match changing needs for O2
uptake and CO2 removal.
• Can be voluntarily modified (speaking,
singing, whistling, playing a wind instrument,
or holding one’s breath while swimming)

Basic elements of the respiratory

control system

8
 28/05/2015

Respiratory centers in the brain stem establish

a rhythmic breathing pattern

9
 28/05/2015

Respiratory centers in the brain stem establish

a rhythmic breathing pattern

Quite breathing:

Firing  contraction of
inspiratory muscles
Firing ceases 
relaxation of inspiratory
muscles

Respiratory centers in the brain stem establish

a rhythmic breathing pattern

Heavy breathing
Inspiratory neurons
Expiratory neurons

10
 28/05/2015

Respiratory centers in the brain stem establish

a rhythmic breathing pattern

Fine-tuning to the DRG

Inhibits inspiration
promotes inspiration

Pacemaker activity

11
 28/05/2015

Chemical stimuli affecting

respiratory control

Peripheral chemoreceptors

12
 28/05/2015

Organization of the carotid body

• Sensitive to
changes in
dissolved oxygen
concentration
(PO2)

13
 28/05/2015

Central Chemoreceptor

Effects of PO2

14
 28/05/2015

Effects of pH

Effects of PCO2

15
 28/05/2015

Non-chemical stimuli affecting

respiratory control

16
 28/05/2015

Responses mediated by receptors

in the airways & lungs
• Hering–Breuer reflexes  stretch receptors 
induce expiration (inhibit inspiratory neurons)
• Deflation reflexes  induce deep breathing
• Vagovagal reflexes  Irritant receptors 
coughing, sneezing, etc

Responses mediated by receptors

in the airways & lungs
• J (juxtacapillary) receptors  stimulated by an
increase in lung interstitial pressure caused by
the collection of fluid in the interstitium
rapid shallow breathing, dyspnea

17
 28/05/2015

• Afferents from proprioceptors  increase

depth of breathing
• Respiratory effects of baroreceptor
stimulation  inhibit respiration (effect is
slight and of little physiologic importance)

18
 28/05/2015

LEARNING ISSUE

Hypoxia
• Hypoxic hypoxia
• Anemic hypoxia
• Hypoperfusion hypoxia
• Histotoxic hypoxia

19
28/05/2015

20
 28/05/2015

• Inspiratory “ramp” signal

• Coughing & sneezing
• Breath holding – breaking point

The effect of pleural effusion on

pleural pressure and lung volume

• Pleural pressure increases

• Becomes less negatif
(or even positif)
• Lung volume decreases

21
 28/05/2015

External, internal, cellular respiration

22