Getting the air to our lungs in the first place can be challenging enough. How do we get the oxygen out of the air once we have it in our lungs? This huge job comes down to one tiny unit: the alveoli-capillary unit. In this brick, we take a look at how the exchange of gases takes place.
After listening to this AudioBrick, you should be able to:
- Describe the features, dimensions, and components of the respiratory membrane.
- List the components and explain the function of surfactant.
- List the factors that affect the rate of gas exchange across the respiratory membrane.
- Describe the alveolar gas equation and explain how it is used.
- Define respiratory quotient.
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