Ventilation and Respiratory volumes

 Ventilation – or breathing,
is the process of moving
air into and out of the
lungs
 2 phases of ventilation:
 1. Inspiration – Inhalation
 2. Expiration – Exhalation
 Ventilation is regulated by
changes in thoracic
volume, which produce
changes in air pressure
within the lungs
Ventilation and Respiratory volumes
 Changing thoracic
volume
 Muscles associated with
the ribs are responsible
for ventilation
 Inhaling requires a set of
muscles called muscle of
inspiration
 This includes:
 1. diaphragm
 2. muscles that elevate
the ribs
 3. sternum
 4. external coastals
Ventilation and Respiratory volumes
 Muscles of expiration
 1. intercostals
(depress the ribs and
sternum)
Ventilation and Respiratory volumes
 Spirometry - is the
process of measuring
volumes of air that
move into and out of
the respiratory system
 Spirometer – is the
device that measures
these respiratory
volumes
Ventilation and Respiratory volumes
 VOLUMES
 Respiratory volume –
are measurement of
amount of air
movement during
different portions of
ventilation
 Respiratory capacities
- are sums of two or
more respiratory
volumes
Ventilation and Respiratory volumes
 Tidal volume – is the
volume of air inspired
or expired with each
breath
 Inspiratory reserve
volume – is the
amount of air that can
be inspired forcefully
beyond the resting
tidal volume
Ventilation and Respiratory volumes
 Expiratory reserve
volume – is the
amount of air that can
be expired forcefully
beyond the resting
tidal volume
 Residual volume – is
the volume of air still
remaining in the
respiratory passages
and lungs after
maximum expiration
Ventilation and Respiratory volumes
 CAPACITIES
 Functional residual
capacity – is the
expiratory reserve
volume plus the
residual volume. This
is the amount of air
remaining in the lungs
at the end of a normal
expiration
Ventilation and Respiratory volumes
 CAPACITIES
 Inspiratory capacity –
is the tidal volume
plus the inspiratory
reserve volume
 Vital capacity – is the
sum of inspiratory
reserve volume, the
tidal volume and the
expiratory reserve
volume
Ventilation and Respiratory volumes
 CAPACITIES
 Total lung capacity – is
the sum of the
inspiratory and
expiratory reserves
and the tidal and
residual volumes
Gas Exchange
 Exchange of gases
across the respiratory
membrane is
influenced by 3
factors:
 1. Thickness of the
membrane
 2. Total surface area of
the respiratory
membrane
 3. Partial pressure of
gases across
membrane
Gas Exchange
 Respiratory membrane
thickness – Thickness
increases during
certain respiratory
diseases
 Surface area – Total
surface area of the
respiratory membrane
is about 70sqm in
normal adult
Gas Exchange
 Partial pressure –
Pressure exerted by a
specific gas in a
mixture of gases, such
as air
Gas Exchange
 Movement of gases in
the lungs – O2 diffuses
from alveoli into the
pulmonary capillaries
because the Po2 in the
alveoli is higher/ greater
than in the pulmonary
capillaries
 In contrast CO2 diffuses
from the pulmonary
capillaries into the
alveoli because the
PCO2 in the pulmonary
capillaries is higher/
greater than in the
alveoli
Gas Exchange
 Gas transport in the
blood
 O2 Transport – After
O2 diffuses through
the respiratory
membrane into the
blood about 98.5% of
the O2 is transported
in the blood and
combines with iron-
containing heme
groups of hemoglobin
Gas Exchange
 About 1.5% of the O2
remains dissolved in
the plasma
 Oxyhemoglobin –
Hemoglobin with O2
bound to its heme
groups
Gas Exchange
 CO2 Transport and
blood PH
 CO2 enters the blood, it
is transported in 3 ways
 1. About 7% is
transported as CO2
dissolved in plasma
 2. 23% is transported
bound to blood
proteins, primarily
hemoglobin
 3. 70% is transported in
the form of bicarbonate
ions
Gas Exchange
 Co2 reacts with water
to form carbonic acid
(H2CO3), which is
then dissociates to
form H+ and
bicarbonate ions
(HCO3-)
 Carbonic anhydrase –
is located inside the
RBC and on the
surface of capillary
epithelial cells
Gas Exchange
 Rhythmic breathing
 Normal breathing rate
in adults is between
12 and 20 breaths per
minute
 In children 20 to 40
per minute
Gas Exchange
 Respiratory areas in
the brainstem
 Neurons involved with
respiration are located
in the brainstem
 Medullary respiratory
center consists of 2
Dorsal respiratory
groups and 2 ventral
respiratory groups