Alveoli

Gas exchange

k.joseph

If your lungs were simply two large balloon-like structures, the surface area wouldn’t be big enough for you to get enough oxygen by diffusion to supply the needs of your cells.
But each alveolus is a very tiny sphere. The smaller the radius of a sphere, the bigger the relative surface area – halving the radius increases the relative surface area by a factor of four.
The millions of tiny alveoli in the human lungs are a very effective adaptation which provides a huge surface area for gaseous exchange into and out of the blood.

water and oxygen

Simple Diffusion of High to low amount of oxygen and carbon on both sides

no

deadspace

There are table sugar, milk sugars(Galactose, Lactose, maltose), candy sugars (alcohol sugars), fruit sugar (fructose). Sugars are the bodies favorite food unit. Assuming you mean Sucrose, table sugar. When sugar is broken down in the stomach into its basic components fructose and glucose, these are transported across the intestinal membrabnes into the blood stream. Both fructose and glucose are transported across body cell membranes and react to form ATP energy in the Cyclic Acid Metabolic system. Glucose to the liver is stored as glycogen; when the liver stores are full, the excess is converted to fat and stored in adipose tissue(the belly, that double chin, or love handles, etc).

Stroke

No.

The surface area of the alveoli is where oxygen and carbon dioxide are exchanged across membranes. A large surface area enables a greater amount of gas transfer. The skin has two main functions: one is holding all our bits in one place and the other is to maintain body temerature. In the latter role, a large surface area is good for cooling the body but bad for keeping warm. So it is a compromise.

broncheoli are the branches carrying air from the bronchi to the alveoli..

They increase the surface area and hence the rate of reaction is increased...

So gas exchange can be much quicker, especially as the bloodstream flows very close to them

About 30%. The air trapped in ANATOMICAL DEAD SPACE which is about 150 ml does not reach into the alveoli in each breath of 500ml (TIDAL VOLUME)approx.

Partial pressure affects the movement of oxygen from the alveoli to the blood because it is the main driving force for oxygen movement in the lungs.Oxygen passes from the air to the fluid within the alveoli, into the cell of the alveoli.

The moistness of the alveoli allows for exchange of gases. This is the primary function of the alveoli, and the lungs. Gases can dissolve in water, but they can not dissolve in dry solid material. If the alveoli were dry, oxygen could not diffuse into the blood and carbon dioxide could not diffuse out. Such a person would suffocate.

Pick up oxygen and give up carbon dioxide

The enlargement of the alveoli is known as emphysema, a condition that is part of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). In emphysema, the walls between the alveoli break down, leading to reduced surface area for gas exchange and making it difficult for the lungs to function properly. This can result in breathing difficulties and decreased oxygen supply to the body.

Reptile lungs do not contain alveoli in the same way that mammalian lungs do. Instead, reptilian lungs are typically structured with a series of air sacs or chambers that facilitate gas exchange. Some reptiles have a more complex lung structure with infoldings to increase surface area, but they lack the alveolar system found in mammals. As a result, while they can effectively exchange gases, their respiratory system is different from that of mammals.

The concentration of oxygen is higher in the alveoli than in the blood due to the process of gas exchange that occurs in the lungs. When air is inhaled, oxygen diffuses into the alveoli, creating a higher partial pressure of oxygen there. This difference in partial pressure drives oxygen from the alveoli into the blood, where it binds to hemoglobin in red blood cells. As a result, the oxygen concentration in the blood increases until equilibrium is reached, but it remains lower than in the alveoli to facilitate continuous diffusion.

what are the 2 pipes air pass through before reaching the alveoli ?

Alveoli in mammals exhibit key characteristics of an effective respiratory surface by providing a large surface area for gas exchange due to their extensive network and high number. They are thin-walled, consisting of a single layer of epithelial cells, which minimizes the distance for diffusion of oxygen and carbon dioxide. Additionally, alveoli are moist, allowing gases to dissolve and diffuse more easily, and are well-vascularized, ensuring efficient transport of gases to and from the bloodstream. These features collectively facilitate efficient respiration in mammals.