3. Quantitative – diffusion rate: Humans rely on their lungs to supply oxygen to their bodies. Each lung is made up of over 300 million alveoli or air sacs that provide a total surface area of 75 m2 over which oxygen can diffuse. However, the recent COVID pandemic has caused problems both during and after infection for oxygen delivery. a. During COVID, patients can get pneumonia, where the lungs can partially fill with fluid. This causes coughing but also prevents that part of the lung from absorbing oxygen. If 35% of the alveoli were filled with fluid, how much of the lung area (in m2) would still be functioning? b. How would the oxygen diffusion rate for the pneumonia patient compare with that of a normal person? Write out and solve for the diffusion rate ratio. c. Sometimes people with severe pneumonia are given an oxygen canula to augment their breathing. Normal oxygen concentrations in the lung are 100 mm Hg of O2 (this is the partial pressure which is proportional to concentration as we’ll discuss in unit 3). With a canula delivery rate of 3 liters /min the oxygen in the lungs would be 152.4 mm Hg. Assume the oxygen is carried away by the blood immediately so the oxygen concentration gradient is determined solely by the concentration in the alveoli. How would the canula alter the diffusion rate of oxygen for the pneumonia patient? Write the ratio compared to without the canula.

Human Anatomy & Physiology (11th Edition)

11th Edition

ISBN:9780134580999

Author:Elaine N. Marieb, Katja N. Hoehn

Publisher:Elaine N. Marieb, Katja N. Hoehn

Chapter1: The Human Body: An Orientation

Section: Chapter Questions

Problem 1RQ: The correct sequence of levels forming the structural hierarchy is A. (a) organ, organ system,...

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3. Quantitative – diffusion rate: Humans rely on their lungs to supply oxygen to their bodies. Each lung
is made up of over 300 million alveoli or air sacs that provide a total surface area of 75 m2 over which
oxygen can diffuse. However, the recent COVID pandemic has caused problems both during and after
infection for oxygen delivery.

a. During COVID, patients can get pneumonia, where the lungs can partially fill with fluid. This
causes coughing but also prevents that part of the lung from absorbing oxygen. If 35% of the
alveoli were filled with fluid, how much of the lung area (in m2) would still be functioning?

b. How would the oxygen diffusion rate for the pneumonia patient compare with that of a normal
person? Write out and solve for the diffusion rate ratio.

c. Sometimes people with severe pneumonia are given an oxygen canula to augment their breathing.
Normal oxygen concentrations in the lung are 100 mm Hg of O2 (this is the partial pressure which
is proportional to concentration as we’ll discuss in unit 3). With a canula delivery rate of 3 liters /min the oxygen in the lungs would be 152.4 mm Hg. Assume the oxygen is carried away by the

blood immediately so the oxygen concentration gradient is determined solely by the concentration
in the alveoli. How would the canula alter the diffusion rate of oxygen for the pneumonia patient?
Write the ratio compared to without the canula.

d. Would this treatment be sufficient to rescue the pneumonia patient and bring them back to
normal?

e. Instead of having fluid buildup, some patients have mucus buildup which increases the thickness
that oxygen diffuses through. Let’s make the assumption that the diffusion coefficient is the same
through the mucus as through normal tissue. If the entire lung has a mucus layer that increases the
diffusion distance by 2, how does that impact oxygen diffusion? Write out the ratio.

f. Here is a table of canula oxygen flow rates and an
estimate of the corresponding oxygen partial pressure in
the lungs. What canula flow rate would be needed for the
patient with mucus buildup?

02 flow
rate
Fraction
(liters/
inspired
min) oxygen
0
1
2
W|N
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
21
24
28
32
36
40
44
48
52
56
60
Lung 02
partial
pressure
(mm Hg)
100.0
114.3
133.3
152.4
171.4
190.5
209.5
228.6
247.6
266.7
285.7

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