PRINCIPLES OF DIFFUSION OF GASES LEARNING OBJECTIVES

At the end of the lecture ,student should be able to understand the basic concepts of, Gas Exchange Mixed Gases and Partial Pressure Physical Principles of Gas Exchange Mechanisms of Gas Movement Bulk flo principles !iffusion of gases Gas "a s !iffusion coefficient !iffusion #apacity $actors affecting rate of diffusion

Gas Exchange
Gas Exchange in the respiratory system refers to diffusion of %& ' #%& in the lungs and in the peripheral tissues ( %& is transferred from alveolar gas into pulmonary capillary blood and ultimately, delivered to the tissues, here it diffuses from systemic capillary blood into the cells(

#%& is delivered from the tissues to venous blood, to pulmonary capillary blood and is transferred to alveolar gas to be expired(

Gas Exchange
Alveoli supplied ith oxygen) carbon dioxide removed from bloodstream %ccurs on respiratory membrane !epends on*
+ + Partial pressures of gases involved !iffusion of molecules from gas into a li,uid

Gas Exchange

Mixed Gases and Par ia! Press"res

+

A #$s%heric %ress"re a sea !e&e! ' ()* ## +g A #$s%here #ade "% $, di,,eren gases
One gas a!$ne #a-es "% %ar ia! %ress"re
S"# $, a!! %ar ia! %ress"res ' a # %ress"re

Par ia! %ress"re de er#ines ra e $, di,,"si$n

Ph.sica! Princi%!es $, Gas Exchange

Di,,"si$n $, gases hr$"gh he res%ira $r. #e#/rane !epends on + membrane-s thickness, + the diffusion coefficient of gas, + surface areas of membrane, + partial pressure of gases in alveoli and blood

Re!a i$nshi% /e 0een &en i!a i$n and %"!#$nar. ca%i!!ar. ,!$0 + .ncreased ventilation or increased pulmonary capillary blood flo increases gas exchange + Physiologic shunt is deoxygenated blood returning from lungs

Ph.sica! Princi%!es $, Gas Exchange

Par ia! %ress"re + /he pressure exerted by each type of gas in a mixture + !alton-s la + 0ater vapor pressure Di,,"si$n $, gases hr$"gh !i1"ids + #oncentration of a gas in a li,uid is determined by its partial pressure and its solubility coefficient + 1enry-s la

Mechanis#s $, Gas M$&e#en

Bulk $lo 2convection3 !iffusion

Ter#ina! Br$nchi$!e 2Transi i$n ,r$# /"!- ,!$0 $ di,,"si$n34

DIFFUSION
GAS MOVEMENT* Rand$# #$&e#en $, #$!ec"!es ,r$# higher c$ncen ra i$n $ !$0er c$ncen ra i$n is ca!!ed gas di,,"si$n4 S$#e #$!ec"!es a!s$ /$"nd $ #$&e ,r$# !$0er $ higher c$ncen ra i$n4

Changes in Par ia! Press"res

DIFFUSION
4imple diffusion occurs at t o levels* lipid bilayer protein channels Exchange of oxygen and #%& across cell membrane and capillary all occurs by simple diffusion( /hey are lipid soluble so they have high rate of diffusion across the cell membrane( /hese high rate can be attributed to the large surface area for diffusion provided by the lipid component of the membrane(

B"!- ,!$0 Princi%!es

Movement of gas mixtures from a region of high pressure to one of lo pressure( Gases al ays diffuse in the direction of lo er partial pressure but not al ays in the direction of lo er conc( All gases move together because they are sub5ected to the same pressure head(

Gas !a0s
Genera! gas !a05 he %r$d"c $, %ress"re i#es &$!"#e $, a gas is e1"a! $ he n"#/er $, #$!es $, he gas #"! i%!ied /. gas c$ns an and e#%era "re4

PV ' nRT
0here P 6 pressure 2mm 1g3 v 6 volume n 6 moles 2mol3 7 6 gas constant / 6 temperature 2k3

Da! $n6s !a0 $, %ar ia! %ress"re

.t states that the partial pressure of a gas in a mixture of gases is the pressure that gas ould exert if it occupied the total volume of the mixture( /he pressure of a specific gas in a mixture is called its partial pressure 2Px3( /hus the partial pressure is the total pressure multiplied by the fractional conc( %f dry gas( Px ' PB x F /he relationship for humidified gas is determined by correcting the barometric pressure for the ater vapor pressure( /hus ,

Px ' 2PB 7 P+8O3 x F 0here * Px 6 partial pressure of gas 2mm 1g3 PB 6 barometric pressure 2mm 1g3 P1&% 6 ater vapor pressure at 89:# 2;9 mm1g3 $ 6 fractional conc( of gas 2no unit3

A #$s%heric %ress"re
Airflo is governed by the same principles of flo , pressure and resistance as blood flo ( /he pressure that drives respiration is atmospheric 2barometric3 pressure< he 0eigh $, air a/$&e "s4 At sea level , a column of air is as thick as the atmosphere and said to exert a force of =;(9 pounds per s,uare inch ( 4o this is a column of air =:: km high exerting a force of =(:=8 x =:> dynes?cm&( /his pressure, ca!!ed 9 a #$s%here 2=atm3, is enough to force a column of mercury 9>: mm up an elevated column( 9 a # ' ()* ##+g

/his is the average atmospheric pressure at sea level ) fluctuate from day to day and is lo er at high altitude( Atmospheric air is a mixture of gases %xygen, nitrogen, #%&, ater vapor, plus other gases present in small ,uantities( Atmospheric pressure is the sum of the pressures of all these gases* 6 P@&A P%& AP1&% A P#%& AP other gases

Par ia! %ress"re $, gases in inha!ed air5

P@& 6 :(9B> C 9>: 6 DE9(; mm 1g P%& 6 :(&:E C 9>: 6 =DB(B mm1g P1&% 6 :(::; C 9>: 6 8(: mm1g

P#%& 6 :(:::; C 9>: 6 :(8 mm1g P other gases 6:(:::> x 9>: 6 :(Dmm1g( /otal pressure 6 9>:(: mm1g

The %ercen ages $, gases /he percentages of gases in dry air at a barometric pressure of 9>: mm1g are* %xygen 6 &=F 2:(&=3 @itrogen 6 9EF 2:(9E3 #%& 6 :(:;F 2:3 1&% vapor pressure 6 ;9 mm1g at 89#(

Par ia! %ress"re $, gases in inha!ed air /hese partial pressures determine the movement of oxygen and #%& bet een atmosphere and lungs, b? lungs and blood, b? blood and body cells( /he greater the difference in partial pressure, the faster the rate of diffusion(

Re!a i&e %ress"re Matter to flo is the difference b? atmospheric pressure and intrapulmonary pressure( 4ince atmospheric pressure vary from one place and time to another(

A relative pressure of <8mm1g means 8mm1g belo atmospheric pressure )a relative pressure of A8 mm1g above atmospheric pressure(

4o at an atmospheric pressure of 9>: mm1g these ould represent absolute pressures of 9D9 and 9>8 mm1g, respectively(

+enr.6s !a0

1enry la states that the ,uantity of gas that ill dissolve in a li,uid is proportional to the partial pressure of the gas and its solubility( .n body fluids, the ability of gas to stay in solution is greater hen its partial pressure is higher and hen it has a high solubility in ater( 1enry-s la is used to convert the partial pressure of gas in the li,uid phase to the concentration of gas in the li,uid phase 2e(g(, in blood3( /he concentration of a gas in solution is expressed as volume percent 2F3, or volume of gas per =::ml of blood 2 m" gas?=::m" blood3

+enr.6s !a0 1enry-s la * C: ' P: x s$!"/i!i . 0here* #C 6 concentration of dissolved gas 2m"gas?=::m"blood3( PC 6 partial pressure of gas 2mm 1g3( 4olubility 6 solubility of gas in blood 2m" gas?=:: m" blood? mm 1g3( #onc( %f a gas in solution applies only to dissolved gas that is free in solution and it does not include any gas that is present in bound form(

B"!- F!$0 and Brea hing

Ins%ira i$n* Alveolar pressure becomes sub< atmospheric( Air GpushedH 2suckedI3 into lungs(

Ex%ira i$n* Alveolar pressure becomes supra< atmospheric( Air GpushedH out of lungs(

Di,,"si$n

Res%ira $r. /r$nchi$!es /ransition from bulk flo to diffusion A!&e$!ar D"c s and A!&e$!i !iffusion the sole mode for gas movement( !ifferent gases diffuse at different rates

+ + +

!iffusion forces + contribute to net movement of % & and #%& across the alveolar<capillary membrane

Di,,"si$n $, gases 7 Fic-6!a0

/ransfer of gases across cell membrane or capillary alls occurs by simple diffusion(

!iffusion is described by $ick-s la of diffusion( According to this la * /he rate of transfer by diffusion 2JC3 is directly proportional to the driving force, a diffusion coefficient2!3 and the surface area available for diffusion2A3) it is inversely proportional to the thickness of the membrane2/3

O8 P8

A
P9 T

CO8

gas = A D ( P1 P2 ) V T

 /otal AREA available for diffusion of gases is !arge in human KD:<=:: m& Diffusion PATH LENGTH is very small, <1 m

Di,,"si$n $, gases the driving force for diffusion of gas is the partial pressure difference of the gas 2P3 across the membrane, not the conc( !ifference( the diffusion coefficient of a gas 2!3 depends on molecular eight, and the solubility of the gas(

Di,,"si$n c$e,,icien

!iffusion coefficient is defined as a constant, hich is the measure of a dissolved substance diffusing through the conc( gradient( /he diffusion coefficient for #%& is approximately &: times higher than the oxygen( Di,,"sing Ca%aci . $, he L"ng 2DL3 .t is defined as the volume of gas that diffuses through the respiratory membrane each minute for a pressure gradient of = mm1g( !" combines the diffusion coefficient of the gas 2!3, surface area of the membrane 2A3 and the thickness of the membrane 2 /3(

Diffusing Capacity (DL) lumps together: Diffusivity Area hic!ness Fr$# Fic- E1"a i$n5

gas V A D DL = = T P1 P2

Di,,"si&i . 2D3

Solubility of gas D molecular eig!t

Each gas has uni,ue value Essentially a diffusion coefficient

DL ,$r $x.gen and CO8 !" for oxygen is &= ml?min?=mm1g !" for #%& is ;:: ml?min?=mm1g /hus !" for #%& is &: times more than that of oxygen(

Fac $rs a,,ec ing ra e $, di,,"si$n 9; Par ia! %ress"re di,,erence5 7ate of diffusion is directly proportional to pressure difference Pressure diff is directly proportional to rate of diffusion( 8 ; S$!"/i!i . $, gas5 7ate of diffusion capacity is directly proportional to solubility of gas(
D gas "olu#ility gas

<; S"r,ace area a&ai!a/!e ,$r gas exchange4 7ate of diffusion is directly proportional to the surface area( = ; M$!ec"!ar 0eigh $, he gas5 7ate of diffusion is inversely proportional to molecular eight of the gas(

" gas #

1 G$%

> ; Thic-ness $, res%ira $r. #e#/rane5 .t is inversely proportional to the thickness of the membrane

Re!a i$n /?0 DL and ,ac $rs a,,ec ing

Ra e $, di,,"si$n

PxSxA M0 x D

@here5

P ' %ress"re di,,erence S ' s$!"/i!i . $, gas A ' s"r,ace area $, #e#/rane M0 ' #$!ec"!ar 0eigh D ' hic-ness $, #e#/rane

Re,erences

Tex /$$- $, #edica! %h.si$!$g. /. G". $n A +a!! Re&ie0 $, #edica! %h.si$!$g. /. @4F4Gan$ng Ana $#. A %h.si$!$g. /. Sa!adin