Physiology 3120 Lecture Notes - Lecture 1: Pulmonary Artery, Circulatory System, Partial Pressure

• School: Western University
• Department: Physiology
• Course: Physiology 3120
• Professor: Tom Stavraky

Document Summary

Lecture #1 (structure and function of the lung) The main function of the lung is gas exchange between the blood and the external environment. It"s not gas exchange by exchanging oxygen for co2, it is exchange of oxygen from the external environment into the blood and separately, co2 going from the blood back into the external environment. Oxygen is inhaled from the air into the lung and surrounded by alveoli in the lungs, diffuses into the blood through pulmonary capillaries. The oxygen transported by the blood to tissues through the systemic arteries to the systemic capillaries is used for chemical reactions within cells. Carbon dioxide is the major end product of those reactions. Carbon dioxide is also transported via the blood through the systemic veins and pulmonary arteries and diffuses into the lung from the pulmonary capillaries. The carbon dioxide is then exhaled into the air.