Diffusion and human respiratory system

In the lungs most of the gaseous exchange occurs in tiny airs known as alveoli. An alveolus is made of a single layer of flattened epithelial cells. Gaseous exchange occurs by a process of simple diffusion between the alveolar air and the deoxygenated blood in the capillaries.

The alveoli provide an enormous surface area for the exchange of gases in the human body. Adult human has around 480-500 million alveoli in their lungs, which gives a surface area for gaseous exchange of around 100m2 packed into your chest!

Alveolis walls are only one cell thick, the capillaries are the same. The distance between them is only around 0.5-1.5 m (micrometres, microns, 106)

Blood is continuously flowing ,through the capillaries past the alveoli. This continiuous flow mantains the concentration gradient on capilary side. Movement of gases in and out of the alveoli is mainly by diffusion, but the movement of air is a mass transport system.

The exchange of gases at the alveolar surfaces in the lungs happens by passive diffusion. Moving air between the lungs and the external environmet is an active transport, known as breathing: Inhalation= taking air into the chest. Exhalation= breathing air out.

Inhalation is an active, energy using process. The muscles around the diaphragm contract and as result it is lowered and flettened. The intercostal muscles between the ribs also contract, raising the rib cage upwards and outwards. so air moves in through the trachea, bronchi and bronchioles into the lungs to equalise the pressure inside and out.

Normal exhalation is a passive process. The muscles surrounding the diaphragm relax so that it moves up into its resting dome shape. The intercostal muscles also relax so that the ribs move down and in, and the elastic fibres around the alveoli of the lungs return to their normal length. When the pressure in the chest cavity is greater than that of the outside air, air will move out of the lungs , through the bronchioles, bronchi and trachea to the outside air.

The internal intercostal muscles contract, pulling the ribs down and in. The abdominal muscles contract forcing the diaphragm upwards. This increases the pressure in the chest cavity, causing exhalation. This is known as forced exhalation. Coughing is an exaggerated form of forced exhalation which is used to force mucus out from the respiratory system.