Respiratory System

Exchange of oxygen and carbon

dioxide between the blood and the
muscle tissues
Exchange of oxygen and carbon
dioxide between the lungs and blood
The breathing of air into and out of
the lungs
 Mechanics of
Inspiration:
Breathing
External intercostals muscles contract during
inspiration
Diaphragm contracts (downwards and flattens)
This pulls the rib cage upwards and outwards
These actions cause the thoracic cavity size to increase
This decreases the pressure inside the thoracic cavity
Gases move from areas of high pressure to low
pressure areas
Therefore oxygen moves from the atmosphere (higher
pressure) into the lungs (now low in pressure)
During exercise, a more forceful inspiration is required
so extra muscles are involved in this process
sternocleidomastoid and pectoralis minor
Expiration
Usually a passive process

As the intercostals muscles relax the rib cage moves

downwards
The diaphragm relaxes and returns to its dome shape

This decreases the size of the thoracic cavity

This causes the pressure to increase in the thoracic

cavity (smaller volume)
Therefore gases move out of the lungs (high pressure)
into the atmosphere (lower pressure)
During exercise breathing rate is increased,
expiration is aided by the internal intercostal muscles
and the abdominal muscles,
This pulls the rib cage down more quickly and with
greater force
 Gaseous Exchange
Key Terms:
Gaseous Exchange the process of exchanging
O2 and CO2
Partial Pressure - the pressure a gas exerts in
a mixture of gases
Diffusion - The movement of gases from areas
of higher partial pressure to lower partial
pressure
Diffusion Gradient - The difference between
high and low pressure of gases. The bigger the
gradient the greater the diffusion.
 External Respiration
Involves the movement of oxygen and carbon
dioxide between the alveoli of the lungs and
capillaries surrounding the alveoli.
The aim of external respiration is to
oxygenate the blood returning from the
tissues
As blood circulates through the capillaries
surrounding the alveoli oxygen is picked up
and carbon dioxide is dropped off to be
expired
 Internal Respiration
Involves the movement of O2 and CO2
between the capillaries surrounding
the muscles and the muscle tissues
The aim of internal respiration is to
oxygenate the muscles and collect
CO2 to return it to the alveoli
These processes can only happen if a
diffusion gradient is present.
 External and Internal
Respiration Showing
Changes in O2 and CO2
 Oxygen-Haemoglobin
Dissociation Curve
Shows us how much haemoglobin is
saturated with oxygen
Saturated when haemoglobin is
loaded with oxygen
Dissociation where oxygen is
unloaded from the haemoglobin
The higher the partial pressure of
oxygen, the higher percentage of
oxygen saturation to haemoglobin
 Oxygen associates with haemoglobin
at the lungs and dissociates at the
muscles (because PP of O2 is high at
lungs and low at muscles)
During exercise a greater amount of
dissociation of O2 at the muscles is
required, therefore less saturation at
the muscles has to occur
Four factors happen in our bodies
during exercise to allow this to occur
 Factors Affecting the
saturation of oxygen to
haemoglobin
Increase in temperature in the blood and muscles
during exercise
Decrease in PP of O2 within the muscles during
exercise, therefore creating a greater diffusion
gradient
Increase in PP of CO2 therefore causing a greater
CO2 diffusion gradient
Increase in acidity lowering the pH of the blood
through production of lactic acid (more hydrogen ions
produced). This is known as the BOHR SHIFT
All four of these factors (which occur during exercise)
increases the dissociation of oxygen from
haemoglobin, which increases the supply of oxygen to
the working muscles and therefore delays fatigue.
Exam Style Question:
What happens to the oxygen-Haemoglobin
Dissociation Curve during exercise? (6
marks)
It shifts to the right

Because during exercise there is an

increase in blood/muscle temperature
Decrease in PP of O2 in the muscles

Increase in PP of CO2 in muscles

Increase in acidity (more lactic acid)

Known as Bohr Effect/Shift

 Myoglobin
Has a higher affinity for O2 than
haemoglobin
Therefore acts as a store of O2
Even at very low partial pressures of
02 (the muscles when exercising) it
remains saturated
This means that myoglobin still has O2
available to supply the working
muscles.
 Respiratory Adaptations to
Training
Reduction in breathing rate during
sub-maximal exercise,
System is more efficient therefore
less
breaths required,
No changes in lung volumes
except. . . .
Vital capacity amount of air that
can be forcibly expired after
maximal inspiration increases
slightly, largely due to stronger
respiratory muscles
Therefore spirometer traces are
 Gaseous exchange becomes
efficient
External Respiration -
increased capilliarisation
surrounding alveoli more
opportunity for gaseous
exchange to occur, more O2
enters the blood
Internal Respiration
increase in myoglobin within
the muscles (this carries O2
to mitochondria), therefore
leading to improved efficiency
of energy production.
 Describe the chemical, physical
and neural changes that cause a
change in our breathing rate.
Chemical
Increase in CO2, increase in acidity
Detected by chemoreceptors
Physical
Movement of muscles and joints
Detected by proprioreceptors
Also stretch receptors in lungs, temperature receptors detect
changes
Neural
Nervous control
Messages sent to the medulla (respiratory control centre)
Messages to send respiratory muscles via sympathetic
nervous system.
 Respiratory System so
far . . .
1. What is the Oxygen-Haemoglobin
Disassociation Curve?
2. What happens to the curve during
exercise?
3. What causes this to happen?
4. What are the effects of the curve
shifting to the right?
5. What changes occur to the respiratory
system as a result of training?
 Lung Volumes
(Average male) ** Learn
Volume Name Description Value at Change
Rest (ml) during
Exercise
Tidal Volume Amount of air breathed 500 Increases
(TV) in or out per breath
Inspiratory Maximal amount of air 3100 Decreases
Reserve Volume forcibly inspired in
(IRV) addition to tidal volume
Expiratory Maximal amount of air 1200 Decreases
Reserve Volume forcibly expired in
(ERV) addition to tidal volume
Vital Capacity Maximal amount of air 4800 Slight
(VC) exhaled after a maximal
inspiration
(TV + IRV + ERV)
Residual Volume Amount of air left in the 1200 None
(RV) lungs after a maximal
expiration
 Effects of Exercise on
Volumes
At rest, lungs are ventilated at approx. 6 Litres per minute
During steady state endurance exercise maximal ventilation is
about 80-100 Litres per minute (males) and 45-80 Litres per
minute (females) smaller lungs!
Brief maximal exercise (800m race) rates may increase to 120-
140 Litres per minute
BREATHING RATES rise from 12 per minute to 45 per
minute during strenuous exercise
Depth of respiration can increase from 0.5 litres per breath to
2.5 litres per breath

Training will usually result in little or no change in pulmonary

function. However, swimmers may experience some increase in
vital capacity and maximal breathing capacity (breathing against
resistance of the water)
Comparison of marathon runners and sedentary subjects showed
no difference in actual lung functions (FEV1, etc)
 Summary
The respiratory system functions to deliver O2 to the lungs and
remove CO2
The system consists of the nose, trachea, larynx, bronchial tree
and lungs
Inspiration occurs when air is drawn into the lungs by the
reduction of the pressure caused by an increase in the size of the
thoracic cavity
Expiration occurs when the pressure increases as the size of the
thoracic cavity decreases and air is forced out
During normal breathing inspiration is produced by the activity of
the diaphragm and intercostal muscles
During exercise both the rate and depth of breathing increase
Respiration is controlled by the MEDULLA of the brain
Total Lung Capacity = Tidal Volume + Inspiratory Reserve Volume
+ Expiratory Reserve Volume and Residual Volume (6000ml)