Biophysics of Breathing

Jan Jakuš
Breathing is a vital function of the body, a
periodic and rhythmic process of inspiration
and expiration that covers the metabolic
demands of body for O2 and CO2.
- must assure in adults the intake of O2 250
ml / min, and the expenditure of CO2 200 ml /
min.
- is governed involuntarily by “ a respiratory
centre’’, localized within the brainstem -
- can be interrupted or increased voluntarily
(from the cortex)
(for more info look at a book: Jakus, Tomori Stran-
sky: Neuronal Determinants of Breathing, Coughing
 Anatomy of Breathing
Upper Airways - nose, nasopharynx, larynx
Lower Airways - trachea, bronchial „tree“,
Lungs (right + left) - alveoli
Respiratory muscles
Breathing (Respiration) :

- External (the air exchange

at the level of lungs)

- Internal (the O2 and CO2

exchange at the tissue level)
 External and Internal Breathing

Atmosphere Lung Blood - Heart Extracel. liquid Cells

Oxygen CO2
Respiratory and Cardiovascular
Relationships
External Breathing :
1. VENTILATION - cyclic air exchange during breathing
caused by the respiratory „pump“ muscles - diaphragm
external and internal intercostals , abdominal,and auxiliary
muscles (Jakus et al. book)
2. DISTRIBUTION - mixing of inhaled air with an air that
remains within the airways after expiration (150 ml-death
volume).
3. DIFFUSION - transfer of O2 and CO2 through the alveol-
ar-capilĺary membrane along the partial pressure gradients
(Fick´s Law)
4. PERFUSION- gas transport in blood between lungs
and tissues by heart and vessels
Ventilation - the role of respiratory muscles
Diaphragm – moves downward at inspiration and
upward during expiration (60% of
volume changes in thorax )
Intercostal muscles - external (inspiratory), and inte-
rnal (expiratory) muscles
Auxiliary musles (of neck, thorax, abdomen)- help to
main respiratory muscles (Paralelogram- see
Practicals)
 Ventilation- types (in adults)

Minute ventilation(MV) =VT .fb =0.5.12= 6 (l/min)

(VT – tidal volume (0.5 l), fb – breathing rate)

Alveolar ventilation(AV)= 0.35.12 = 4.2 (l/min)

Comparing to Minute ventilation, the value of

Alveolar ventilation is reduced, because the
death volume (0.15 l ) must be substracted from
VT
 Origine of Breathing.
Action potentials from respiratory centre
drive respiratory muscles. These, in turn are
contracted and create pressure changes.
Pressure changes enable pressure gradient
and this leads to a flow of air. Then lungs are
filled (or emptied) with air volumes.
(Hering´s model of breathing -see practicals)
Remember these changes: A/ AT REST:
QUIET INSPIRATION (active process): contraction
of diaphragm + external intercostals  fall of pleural
pressure (PPl = - 0.8 kPa)  fall of intrapulmonary
(Pp = - 0.1 kPa )  Pressure gradient  inspiratory
airflow (VI = + 0.4 l/s)  inspiratory tidal volume (VT
= 0.5 l)
OUIET EXPIRATION ( mostly passive process) :
recoil forces (i.e elasticity of the thoracic wall and
lung tissue + passive movement of the diaphragm
upward  slightly negative Ppl = - 0.1kP, and to
slightly positive intrapulmonay pressure PP =+ 0.5
kPa  pressure gradient  expiratory airflow
(VE= - 0.4 l/s)  expiratory volume ( VT = 0.5 l )
empties the lungs B/ AT WORK:
FORCEFUL INSPIRATION
consists of the same processes as shown above
+ contraction of external intercostals + auxiliary
muscles result in higher pressure gradients, and
to higher values of Ppl, PP, VE and VT
FORCEFUL EXPIRATION
(e.g. in cough, sneeze, strong voluntary
expiration)
It starts sudenly with contraction of
abdominal muscles (expiratory), creating
high abdominal pressure (PAB), very high
PPl and PP pressures, also very high
pressure gradient ,and thus extremely
strong expiratory airflow (velocity like
tornado) and very high expiratory volume
Mechanics of breathing
- means concomitant changes of respiratory
muscles (diaphragm, intercostal and auxiliary
muscles) creating particular Ppl and PP, pres-
sures, inspiratory and expiratory airflows
(V), and tidal volumes (VT), resulting in some
Work of breathing (during inspiration and
expiration).

Work of breathing is affected by:

Lung compliance,
Airway resistance
1/ Lung compliance – distensibility (C) - is the
ratio between Volume of air (VT) / Pressure( P).
N = 2 (l . kPa-1)
Lung fibrosis C - the lung tissue is thicker and thus its
compliance (distensibility) is lower
Lung emphysema C- lung tissue is thinner, and thus
compliance (distensibility) of the lungs is higher.
LOOP OF LUNG COMPLIANCE
2/ Airway resistance Raw - is the relationship
between PRESSURE (P) / AIR FLOW (V)

(Unit is kPa / l / s)
In a disease like bronchial asthma the airway resistance is
high, because the contraction of smooth muscles within the
lower airways decreases the diameter of airways .Thus, the
airflow is low, but Work of muscles and breathing is high.

LOOP OF AIRWAY RESISTANCE

 The Lung Volumes
(Remember 4 main breathing volumes and 4 capacities).
Tidal volume VT = 0.5 l
Inspiratory reserve volume IRV = 2.5 l
Expiratory reserve volume ERV = 1.5 l
Residual volume RV = 1.2 l (consists of collapse
volume = 0.4 l + minimal volume = 0.8 l)

m a x im á lny
IR V vdych
IC
VC
TC VT
m a x im á ln y
ERV výdych
FRC
RV
 The Lung Capacities
Vital capacity VC= VT +IRV +ERV

Functional residual capacity FRC = ERV +RV

Inspiratory capacity IC= VT + IRV
Total capacity TC= VT + IRV +ERV+RV
(See practicals)

m a xim á lny
IR V vd yc h
IC
VC
TC VT
m a xim á ln y
ERV výd ych
FRC
RV
 Morphology of Alveoli and Capillaries
(Coupling of Respiratory and Cardiovascular Systems)
Partial Pressure of Gases- a drive for
diffusion

ATHMOSPHERIC AIR is a mixture of 21% of O2 +

0.04 % CO2 + 78% of N2 ,and other residual gases
(e.g. Hellium, Neon, Argon)

Partial pressures of particular gases depend on

their % concentration within the air. (DALTON´S
LAW). The higher is % of a gas within a gas mix-
ture, the higher is its partial pressure (and vice
versa).

At normal value of barometric pressure = 101.3

kPa (760 torr,1atm) the partial pressure of P02 is
approx. 21 kPa and PCO2 is 0.04 kPa
Remember:
Using DALTON’S LAW one can count partial pre-
ssure of a gas according to formula:
PO2 = V% O2 x ( PB - PH2O ) / 100
PO2 = 20.93 x (101.3 – 0.8) / 100 = 21.03 (kPa)

PCO2 = 0.04 (kPa)

PN2 = 79 (kPa)

This formula can be used for calculations of parti-

cular pressures of gases in the air, in the airways
or within the arterial and venous blood. See next
table.
The values of GAS Volumes (in %) and their Partial
pressures (kPa), in the Atmospheric air, Alveolar air,
in the arterial and venous blood
O2 CO2 PH2O PN2 PaO2 PCO2
(%) (%) (kPa) (kPa) (kPa) (kPa)
Atmospher. 20.93 0.03 0.8 79.04 21.06 0.04
air (dry)

Expiratory 15.1 4.3 6.3 75.3 15.3 4.03

air
Alveolar 13.2 5.1 6.2 76.4
air 13.4 5.33
Arterial 19.8 50 6.3 76.4 8 5.2 0,8
blood 12.7
Venous 14 -15 55 6.3 76.4 5.2 6.13
blood
DIFFUSION – is a transfer of gases (O2...)
through the Alveolar-capillary membrane
along the partial pressure gradients of O2
and CO2 or N2 being governed by :
FICK’S LAW
Diffusion rate: V = (P1 – P2) . A . k
s
P1 P2 partial pressures
A = diffusion surface (70 m2)
s = thickness of Alv.-capillary membrane (0.8
um)
k = diffusive constant -depends on a membrane
and gas properties
Diffusion rate :VO2 = 15 – 20 ml / min.
Diffusion rate for VCO2 is 20-times higher than
Diffusion through the alveolo-capillary membrane
Dynamics of Diffusion
PHYSICAL SOLUBILITY of O2 and CO 2 within
the blood plasma is under HENRY’S LAW:

VO2 =  x PO2 x 1000 = 3 ml O2 /1l arterial blood

PB
VCO2 =  x PCO2 x 1000 = 27 ml CO2 / 1l arter. blood
101
,  - coefficients for O2, and CO2 (respectively)
PB - atmospheric (barometric) pressure

Solubility of gases in liquids depends on their

partial pressures. Gases in liquids are in two
forms: physically disolved in blood plasma, and
chemically bounded on Hemoglobine of the red
blood cells.1 l of arterial blood takes 200ml of O2.
From this only 3 ml of O2 is physically dissolved in
plasma, and 197 ml O2 binds chemically on Hemo-
globine.
Wishing You Pleasant Day