The following review questions are not intended to be all inclusive of the material

covered in class. Be sure to read the text and study your lecture notes in preparation
for the exam.

Chapter 18 – Gas Exchange and Transport

1. What is hypercapnia?
a. Elevated concentrations of carbon dioxide in the lungs.
2. How is most oxygen carried in the blood? How much oxygen is consumed by the
tissues per minute?
a. Oxygen is carried through in the blood by being dissolved in the plasma
and bound to the hemoglobin.
b. 250mL O2/min
3. Describe the oxyhemoglobin dissociation curve? How does this saturation benefit
oxygen delivery in humans?
a. This curve shows the physical relationship between PO2 and how much
oxygen binds to hemoglobin in vitro.
b. Researchers expose samples of hemoglobin to various PO2 levels and
quantifiably determine the amount of oxygen that binds.
c. Steeper slopes mean a smaller decrease in Po2 and that causes a relatively
large release of oygen.
4. What is the Bohr effect? How does it specifically help during exercise? What
environmental stimulus might trigger an increase in 2,3-DPG?
a. This is a shift in the hemoglobin saturation curve. That results in a change
in pH.
b. Ascent to high altitude and anemia increase 2,3 DPG.
5. How is most CO2 carried in the blood? Name two purposes for this mechanism. What
is the enzyme which allows this mechanism of transport?
a. Carried by venous blood 7%
b. Diffuses into red blood cells 93%
c. This is to elevate Pco2 causing pH disturbance
6. What is respiratory acidosis?
a. This is when hypercapnia causes a pH disturbance
b. This interferes with H bonding of molecules and can denature proteins
c. This can depress the central nervous system function causing confusion,
coma, or even death.
d. CO2 is toxic.
7. What is carbaminohemoglobin?
a. This is when oxygen leaves its binding sites on the hemoglobin. This
allows CO2 to bind freely with hemoglobin exposed at amino groups
forming carbaminohemoglobin.
8. Why does the contraction of skeletal muscles involved in breathing not require
conscious thought?
a. It resembles the rhythmic beating of the heart
b. Still requires somatic motor neurons controlled by the CNS

Last Updated - Fall 2013

 c. Complicated synaptic interactions between neurons in the network create
the rhythmic cycles of inspiration and expiration.
9. What is the central pattern generator? What is the dorsal respiratory group and the
ventral respiratory group? What is the pontine respiratory group?
a. This is the brain stem network that controls breathing with intrinsic
rhythmic activity.
b. Dorsal – group of neurons that control mostly muscles on inspiration.
c. Ventral – of the medulla has multiple regions such as the pre-Botzinger
complex that fires neurons acting as a basic pacemaker for the respiratory
rhythm.
d. Potine – neurons that provide tonic input to the medullary networks to
help coordinate a smooth respiratory rhythm.
10. Peripheral chemoreceptors which control ventilation are found in the ___________
and ____________ bodies. Central chemoreceptors which control ventilation are
found in the ___________________________.
a. Carotid
b. Aortic bodies
c. Ventral surface of the medulla
11. Which gas, O2 or CO2 regulates ventilation rate to a greater extent?
a. CO2
12. What is the Hering-Breuer inflation reflex?
a. If tidal volume exceeded a certain volume, stretch receptors in the lung
signal the brain stem to terminal inspiration.

Last Updated - Fall 2013