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Biology

Critical Thinking Questions

BiologyCritical Thinking Questions

16.

Describe the function of these terms and describe where they are located: main bronchus, trachea, alveoli, and acinus.

17.

How does the structure of alveoli maximize gas exchange?

18.

What does FEV1/FVC measure? What factors may affect FEV1/FVC?

19.

What is the reason for having residual volume in the lung?

20.

How can a decrease in the percent of oxygen in the air affect the movement of oxygen in the body?

21.

If a patient has increased resistance in his or her lungs, how can this detected by a doctor? What does this mean?

22.

How would increased airway resistance affect intrapleural pressure during inhalation?

23.

Explain how a puncture to the thoracic cavity (from a knife wound, for instance) could alter the ability to inhale.

24.

When someone is standing, gravity stretches the bottom of the lung down toward the floor to a greater extent than the top of the lung. What implication could this have on the flow of air in the lungs? Where does gas exchange occur in the lungs?

25.

What would happen if no carbonic anhydrase were present in red blood cells?

26.

How does the administration of 100 percent oxygen save a patient from carbon monoxide poisoning? Why wouldn’t giving carbon dioxide work?

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