Pulmonary Ventilation

Hollie Leavitt, Department of Biology, College of Western Idaho

Illustrations by Leah Jensen

Pulmonary ventilation (commonly known as breathing) is the movement of air into and out of the lungs. In order to help
visualize how this works, you’re going to build a functional model of a human lung (Figure 1), and then manipulate the
model to demonstrate breathing. Follow the instructions below to complete this activity:

Materials needed

 1 plastic cup with a hole drilled in the bottom

 A small (raspberry-sized) piece of playdoh
 1 drinking straw
 1 coffee stirrer
 1 mini rubber band
 1 uncut balloon
 1 cut and tied off balloon

Instructions

 Take the uncut balloon and attach it to one end

of the drinking straw using the mini rubber band.
Squeezing all of the air out of the balloon before
attaching it will help your lung model to function
best.
 Put the straw through the hole in the cup, so
that the end attached to the balloon is inside the
cup.
 Stretch the cut balloon over the rim of the cup
with the tied-off portion of the balloon outside
of the cup. This can be difficult and it may be
helpful to have a group member hold your cup
while you stretch the balloon over it.
 Mold the playdoh around the straw in the area
where it exits the cup to seal the hole in the cup
and hold the straw in place.
 Once completed, your model should look similar to Figure 1. The coffee stirrer will be used later, so keep it
handy.

Lung Mechanics

1. Now that you’ve got your lung model built, it’s time to identify what each of its components represents. Match
the lung model structure with its corresponding respiratory anatomy structure:
a. Straw _____ Lung
b. Cup _____ Diaphragm
c. Uncut balloon _____ Pleura
d. Space between the uncut balloon and cup _____ Trachea
e. Cut balloon _____ Pleural cavity
2. You're likely quite familiar with the lung, diaphragm, and trachea already. What is the pleura and the pleural
cavity? Provide a definition in your own words for each.
 3. Now pull down on the “diaphragm” of your model. What happens to the volume of the “pleural cavity” when
you do this?
4. Look closely at the “lung” in your model. What happens to the lung when you pull down on the diaphragm?
(Note—if you see no change in the lung, it is because your model is not airtight. Check to make sure that the
diaphragm completely covers the rim of the cup, and that the playdoh creates an airtight seal between the straw
and the cup. Then pull down on the diaphragm again).
5. Air moving between the lungs and the outside of the body is driven by pressure gradients. The concept is the
same as what we’ve seen previously with blood. Just substitute the term “air” for blood and you get:

Air moves from areas of higher pressure to areas of lower pressure.

With that in mind, choose the right term to fill in the blank in the following sentences: When the diaphragm
moves down, air moves _______________ (into/out of) the lungs. This is because when the diaphragm moves
down pressure in the lungs is _________________ (higher/lower) than the air pressure outside the body.

6. Now push up on the diaphragm of your lung model. What happens to the volume of the pleural cavity when
you do this?
7. Look closely at the lung in your model as you push up on the diaphragm. What happens to the lung as you do
this?
8. Choose the correct term to fill in the blank: When the diaphragm moves up, air moves _______________
(into/out of) the lungs. This is because when the diaphragm moves up pressure in the lungs is ____________
(higher/lower) than the air pressure outside of the body.
9. What seems to cause the changes in pressure that are driving movement of air into and out of the “lung” in your
model?
10. Complete these sentences based on what you’ve seen here to determine the relationship between pressure and
volume: When the diaphragm moves ________ (up/down) volume of the thoracic cavity ____________
(increases/decreases), pressure in the lungs decreases and you ______________ (breathe in/breathe out).
When the diaphragm moves _________ (up/down) volume of the thoracic cavity _______________
(increases/decreases), pressure in the lungs increases and you ________________ (breathe in/breathe out).
11. What structure changes the volume of the pleural cavity in your body?
12. Describe the relationship between pressure and volume based on what you’ve learned so far.
13. Write a few sentences that describe how the function of the diaphragm drives movement of air into and out of
the lungs. In your description you must use the terms: diaphragm, volume, pressure, and air flow.

Lung Pathology
We can use the models you’ve built to demonstrate lung function in some respiratory diseases.

Pneumothorax
Pneumothorax is a condition where atmospheric air fills the pleural cavity surrounding the lung. This can occur, for
example, with a gunshot wound or stab wound that punctures the thoracic cavity. To mimic this, we need to let
atmospheric air into the “pleural cavity” of your lung model. Move the balloon “diaphragm” just slightly off the rim of
the cup, so there is a very small opening between the balloon and the cup rim. Now push up and pull down on the
diaphragm like you did in the last activity to make the lungs inflate and deflate.

14. What happens to the lung’s ability to inflate when the pleural cavity is no longer airtight and contains
atmospheric air?

Now place the diaphragm back in its proper position over the cup rim, and once again push up and pull down on the
diaphragm.

15. What happens to the lung’s ability to inflate when the pleural cavity is once again airtight?
 16. Provide a suggestion based on what you’ve learned here on how to treat pneumothorax.

Now that you’ve seen how the lung fails to inflate when atmospheric air is introduced into the pleural cavity, the next
section of this activity is designed to help you understand why, based on pressures within the lung. Study the diagram of
the lung and pleural cavity (Figure 2) before answering the additional questions related to pneumothorax.

17. What is the term for “pressure inside of the lungs” used in Figure 2?
18. You’ve already learned that air moves from areas of higher pressure to areas of lower pressure. This means that
the pressure inside of the lungs must be below the pressure outside your body (atmospheric pressure) during
inhalation and above atmospheric pressure during exhalation. Atmospheric pressure is equal to 760 mmHg at
sea level. Take a few calm, relaxed breaths. Notice that there is a pause after inhalation and a pause after
 exhalation where you are neither breathing in nor breathing out. What do you think the pressure in the lungs is
during those pauses between inhalation and exhalation?
19. In Figure 2 the intrapulmonary pressure is 760 mm Hg. Assuming these lungs are at sea level, are they inhaling,
exhaling, or pausing between breaths?
20. To inhale, intrapulmonary pressure needs to be about 1 mm Hg below atmospheric pressure. What would you
need the intrapulmonary pressure to be in Figure 2 in order to inhale?
21. To exhale, intrapulmonary pressure needs to be about 1 mm Hg above atmospheric pressure. What would you
need the intrapulmonary pressure to be in Figure 2 in order to exhale?
22. Draw a simple graph that represents how intrapulmonary pressure changes with the breathing cycle (inhalation
and exhalation).
23. What is the term for “pressure inside the pleural cavity” according to Figure 2?
24. What do you notice about the pressure in the pleural cavity as compared to the changing pressures in the lungs?
25. Explain how the intrapleural pressure would help to keep the lungs inflated.
26. Why would getting atmospheric air in the pleural cavity (such as happens with pneumothorax) cause the lung to
collapse and be unable to inflate?
27. We have two lungs, each encased in its own separate pleura. Suppose you had a gunshot wound that pierced
the left side of the thoracic cavity and allowed atmospheric air into the left pleural cavity. Draw a
representation of this injury into Figure 2, then outline the space of the left pleural cavity.
28. What would pressure in the left pleural cavity be following the introduction of atmospheric air?
29. What would happen to the left lung’s ability to stay inflated with the gunshot wound described above? Explain
your answer.
30. What would pressure in the right pleural cavity be following the introduction of atmospheric air into the left
pleural cavity?
31. What would happen to the right lung’s ability to stay inflated with the gunshot wound described above? Explain
your answer.
32. Write a sentence or two that explains why atmospheric air in the pleural cavity causes lung collapse.

Asthma

Asthma is a disease caused by chronic inflammation of the small airways in the lungs, which causes these airways to be
narrower than they would be in someone without the disease. An asthma attack occurs when an asthmatic encounters
a situation or substance that triggers bronchoconstriction. Allergens, food, stress, exposure to cold air, medications, and
illnesses are all common triggers for bronchoconstriction.

Replace the drinking straw in your lung model with a coffee stirrer, and once again move the diaphragm up and down to
simulate pulmonary ventilation.

33. What happens to the lung’s ability to inflate and deflate with the coffee stirrer?
34. How does the coffee stirrer simulate the situation of an asthma attack? Explain your answer.

The movement of air through the respiratory passageways can be calculated using the following formula: F = ΔP/R,
where:

F = Air flow
ΔP = The difference between atmospheric and intrapulmonary pressure
R = Resistance

35. To inhale or exhale under normal circumstances, what does ΔP need to be?
36. During an asthma attack, which factor in the equation has increased, causing air flow to decrease?
37. Without medication or treatment, what could an asthma sufferer do to try and maintain airflow despite the
narrowed airways? Please explain your answer in terms of the equation given above.
38. Asthma makes it difficult to breathe in AND breathe out. Explain why this is based on what you’ve learned.