How is alveoli adapted for gas exchange

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You are commenting using your Facebook account. Notify me of new comments via email. Notify me of new posts via email. Bronchioles carry air into a cluster of tiny airsacs called alveoli not ravioli as AZB told his F division today… Diffusion is the passive movement of molecules of a liquid or gas from a high concentration to a low concentration.

How are the structure of alveoli adapted for efficient gas exchange? The alveoli in total provide a large surface area for the diffusion of oxygen and carbon dioxide. The total surface area of the alveoli in humans is approximately 90 m2 — the equivalent of two tennis courts….. The walls of the alveoli are very thin. The alveolus is lined with a single layer of cells, and of course the capillaries are also only one cell thick.

So the distance for the diffusion of oxygen and carbon dioxide is very small hence the rate of diffusion is very fast The alveoli have a rich blood supply. Alveoli are lined by many capillaries. The surface of the alveolus is moist. Gas exchange surfaces are always moist as oxygen and carbon dioxide will diffuse more rapidly if they are dissolved in water. What do pulmonary function tests measure? What is pulmonary hypoplasia? Is this condition hereditary? Why are there 3 lobes in the right lung and 2 in the left?

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Moist walls - gases dissolve in the moisture helping them to pass across the gas exchange surface. Permeable walls - allow gases to pass through. Extensive blood supply - ensuring oxygen rich blood is taken away from the lungs and carbon dioxide rich blood is taken to the lungs.

A large diffusion gradient - breathing ensures that the oxygen concentration in the alveoli is higher than in the capillaries so oxygen moves from the alveoli to the blood.