- General Features (for most animals)
- Breathing movements
- Fresh supply of air/water at respiratory surface
- Keeps a large diffusion gradient across the shortest possible distance
Diffusion of oxygen and carbon dioxide across the respiratory epithelium
Thin layers (.5-15m
m thick)
Large surface area (human lungs 50-100 square meters)
Carbon dioxide out, oxygen in
Transport of gases by blood
High oxygen conc in systemic arteries, pulmonary veins
High carbon dioxide concentration in systemic veins, pulmonary arteries
Insects use a tracheal system, allowing direct exchange with tissues (no blood needed)
Diffusion of gases across capillary walls (to / from blood and cells)
Rates of exchange are dependent on metabolism
Increased metabolism means more aerobic enzymes, more cristae, and mitochondria
Oxygen and carbon dioxide in blood
Respiratory pigments (eg hemoglobin)
Combine with oxygen to increase the blood oxygen content
- color changes when oxygen binds
- .3% volume w/out hemoglobin, 20% volume with hemoglobin
some fishes don't have respiratory pigments, but they live in arctic waters
- lower metabolic rate
- oxygen has a higher solubility at lower temperatures
hemoglobin - four oxygen molecules bind to four heme units
- oxyhemoglobin - oxygenated
- deoxyhemoglobin - deoxygenated
- carboxyhemoglobin - carbon monoxide is bound (200 x greater affinity that oxygen)
Oxygen transport in blood
Capacity is equal to content when the blood is saturated (all sites are bound to oxygen)
- Content is equal to the amount of oxygen in solution (a very small portion) plus the bound oxygen)
- Because capacity differs among individuals, content is expressed as % saturation
- Oxygen dissociation curves (fig 13-4) demonstrate the % saturation as a result of the partial pressure of oxygen
- Sigmoidal shape reflects the subunit cooperativity (first molecule of oxygen has a harder time binding)
- Curves shift right, indicating a decreased hemoglobin-oxygen affinity
- Increased temperature
- Increased binding of DPG, ATP, and GTP
- Decreased pH (acidic) - Bohr effect
- Increased carbon dioxide concentration
Carbon dioxide transport in the blood (fig 13-9)
Combines with water to form carbonic acid, and hydrogen and bicarbonate ions
- Bicarbonate is the major form of carbon dioxide at normal pH
Forms carbamino compounds with NH2 groups on hemoglobin as well as other proteins
Total carbon dioxide content is the carbon dioxide in all its forms
At any give PCO2, a decrease in pH will cause a decrease in bicarbonate ion (buffering function, combines with extra H ions, see fig 13-10)
Transfer of gases to and from blood
Carbonic anhydrase - enzyme which catalyzes CO2 + H2O to H+ + HCO3- (reversibly)
- In red blood cells (13-11)
- In endothelial cells of capillaries (13-12)
Regulation of Body pH
Normal = 7.4, but body can function in range of 7.0 - 7.8
Affected by CO2 /HCO3- and NH3/ NH4+ levels
Hydrogen ion production and excretion
Increased carbon dioxide leads to decreased pH (respiratory acidosis)
Low carbon dioxide leads to increased pH (respiratory alkalosis)
Consuming food leads to an overall increase in hydrogen ions
Acid leaves the body via the kidneys and gills
pH of blood closest to the pK of plasma proteins, which makes them the most important buffer, but bicarbonate is a more easily regulated buffer
- increased respiration decreases carbon dioxide and increases blood pH
- kidneys are able to excreet bicarbonate which lowers blood pH
ions and pH - must maintain electroneutrality
- increased bicarb causes a decrease in chloride or an increase in sodium ions
- vomiting from the stomach decreases chloride ions causing an increase in bicarb (metabolic alkalosis)
- vomiting from the duodenum decreases bicarb ions (metabolic acidosis)
Factors influencing intracellular pH
Acid is buffered by proteins/other physical buffers
Carbonic anhydrase can create CO2 which diffuses out of the cell
Hydrogen ions can be transported out of the cell (actively or passively)
Na/H and HCO3/ Cl exchange mechanisms
A decreased pH prevents some enzymes from working, therefore metabolism is slowed and fewer H ions are produced while the cell tries to stabilize itself
Factors influencing body pH
Mammalian kidney can excreet acid or base
Aquatic animals excreet acid and use HCO3/ Cl exchangers on external surfaces
Redistribution of hydrogen ions (muscle will absorb H in a sudden pH change, and slowly release them)
Temperature affects dissociation of hydrogen ions from proteins, fortunately the pK of proteins changes in the same manner so there is no overall effect of a change in temp (13-18)
Gas transfer in Air
Functional anatomy of the lung
Respiratory surface area increases with and increase in body weight (13-20)
Mammalian lung (13-21)
- Trachea
- Bronchi
- Bronchiole to terminal bronchiole to respiratory bronchiole
- Alveolar duct to alveolar sac to alveolus
Barriers to gas exchange between environment and blood
- Aqueous surface + alveolar epithelial cell + interstitial layer + capillary endothelium + RBC wall
- Dead space - areas where gas exchange cannot occur
- Anatomical - trachea to non-respiratory bronchioles - where no gas exchange could occur as a result of the anatomy
- Physiological - anatomical DS plus any place where gases aren't being effeciently exchanged in alveolar areas
Breathing volumes (13-23)
- Tidal volume - air moving in and out with regular breathing
- Residual volume - air which always remains in the lungs
- Vital capacity - total lung volume minus the residual volume
Pulmonary circulation
Bronchial circulation - actually part of the systemic circulation, similar to the coronary circulation in purpose - providing gas/metabolite exchange to dead space areas
Pulmonary circulation - gas exchange for blood going to the rest of the body
- Lower pressures to prevent fluid from leaving the capillaries and increasing the diffusion barrier
- More blood flows at the base of the lung when standing as a result of gravity
- Thoraco-abdominal pump= the reduction in pressure during inhalation also helps return blood to the heart.
- Constriction in response to low oxygen areas channels blood to well ventilated areas (for best gas exchange)
Ventilation
Mammals - diaphragm primarily responsible for creating the negative pressure required for breathing, pulls air into lungs
Birds - air sacs, attached to lungs are squeezed and relaxed to create positive/negative pressure to move air
Reptiles - ribs move out to create negative pressure
Frogs - air is pulled (negative pressure) into buccal cavity, then forced into lungs
Pulmonary surfactant - reduce surface tension along lung wall (a lack of the surfactant causes respiratory distress syndrome, especially common in preemies)
Insect tracheal system
System of air-filled tubes going directly to cells - uses rapid diffusion of gases in air - no blood or fluid involved until the very last step
Larger insects can generate air flow in the tracheal system by changing trachea size or by body wall expansion
In many cases the spiracles (openings) can open and close to regulate air flow, fluid loss, and protect against environmental factors
Tracheols (fine endings of tracheal system) are very close to the cells, and filled with fluid most of the time which contains dissolved oxygen
Gas transfer in water : Gills
Flow and gas exchange
Unidirectional flow of water across gills (in mouth, out gills)
Countercurrent flow of blood most common, and often most efficient
High ventillation rate needed as water contains less oxygen than air
Anatomy (13-45)
Gill arches each have two rows of filaments covered with lamellae on top and bottom - increased surface area
Out of water, gills collapse and fish may suffocate
Act as a kidney (ion regulation) and lungs (gas exchange)
Regulation of gas transfer and respiration
Ventilation- perfusion ration
Must match ventilation (oxygen) with perfulsion (blood capacity and flow) to be efficient
Can change where the blood flows to alter this ratio, as well as the amount and rate of ventilation
Neural regulation of breathing
Medullary respiratory center
- Controls muscles used in breathing
- Integrates all factors and responds with a change in depth and rate of breathing (13-51)
- Stretch receptors in lungs
- Chemoreceptors for oxygen and carbon dioxide in carotid and aortic bodies
- Chemoreceptors for pH of cerebrospinal fluid in medulla
Respiratory response to extreme conditions - You are responsible for reading this section on your own
Swimbladders and Oxygen accumulation
Help increase buoyancy in fish, decreasing energy expenditure required to stay afloat
Rete mirabile - reduces the loss of gas from the swimbladder
Gas gland (fig 13-58 and 13-59) adds oxygen to the swimbladder
A decrease in pH (due to an increase in carbon dioxide) causes oxygen to be released from the hemoglobin
High ion concentrations decrease oxygen solubility which forces the oxygen into the swimbladder