Question

How would going up into the mountains effect the process of ventilation. make sure you clearly define how Boyle's law and Dalton's partial pressure law are effected by the change in altitude and how the body compensates physiologically the ventilation process.

Answer 1

• High altitude refers to a height of 7500ft or more above mean sea level.
• At high mountains, in which humans live in have, less oxygen moecules available per unit due to the increasing altitude and amospheric pressure.
• So they must be adapted to efficienty use lower oxygen amounts.
• According to Dalton's law - Any change in pressure and volume won't change the partial pressure of gases , hence the lungs will have the same partial pressure of gases., which in order determines the amount of gas that got diffused through alveoli. That means that partial pressure of all gases remain constant irrespective of height, but at the high altitude, with low atmospheric pressure, concentration of oxygn become low, because of redution in th partial pressure of oxygen, when compared to ground level. Thus, decrease in atmospheric pressure reduces the partial pressure of oxygen, this violates the dalton's law, as with the elevation, pressure of the gas is also affected.
• According to this law, pressure of air equals to the sum of the partial pressure of all gases. i.e, sum of partial pressure of oxygen, CO2, N2 and H2O . As partial pressure of CO2 and H2O determined by the body, remains constant with increae in altitude. but O2 and N2 level changes with increase in altitude.
• According to Boyle's Law - As the law depicts, volume of gas inversely proportional to pressure, when te temperature remains constant. thus increase in the pressure cause decrease in the volume. With increase in altitude, volume increases and ewill resultt in halving of the pressure.
• The air pressure is 30% lower at higher altitudes due to the fact that the atmosphere is less dense, that is, the air molecules are farther apart.
• At high altitudes, the lower air pressure makes it more difficult for oxygen to enter our vascular systems, the result is hypoxia
• there is a increase in breathing and heart rate to as much as double, even while resting.
• later, a more efficient response normally develops as acclimtization takes place.
• additional RBC and capillaries are produced to carry more oxygen.
• The lungs increase in size to facilitate the osmosis of oxygen and carbondioxide.
• there is also an increase in the vascular network of muscles which enhances the transfer of gases.