Question

Each gas in a mixture exerts its own pressure on the mixture, which is known as ________ __________ __________ __________. The partial pressures of gases in a mixture determine whether the gases will move by _______________ -- gases move from an area of ______________ pressure, following a pressure gradient. A second relevant gas law is Henry’s law, which states that a gas’s ability to dissolve in a liquid is proportional to its _________ _________ and its ___________ in the liquid. Henry’s law helps to explain why we find a very little ___________ __________ in plasma in spite of its high partial pressure in the air we breathe.

During pulmonary gas exchange, oxygen moves from an area of _________ partial pressure in the ___________ to an area of __________ partial pressure in the _________ ___________. Carbon dioxide moves in the opposite direction going from an area of _________ partial pressure in the __________ __________ to an area of _________ partial pressure in the _____________. In the tissues, the opposite occurs, with oxygen moving from a high partial pressure in the _________ ________ to an area of low partial pressure in the _____________, and carbon dioxide moving from an area of high partial pressure in the _____________ to an area of low partial pressure in the _________ ___________.

Answer 1

Each gas in a mixture exerts its own pressure on the mixture, which is known as partial pressure. The partial pressures of gases in a mixture determine whether the gases will move by diffusion - gases move from an area of high pressure, following a pressure gradient. A second relevant gas law is Henry’s law, which states that a gas’s ability to dissolve in a liquid is proportional to its partial pressure and its solubility in the liquid. Henry’s law helps to explain why we find very little nitrogen gas in plasma in spite of its high partial pressure in the air we breathe.

During pulmonary gas exchange, oxygen moves from an area of high partial pressure in the alveoli to an area of low partial pressure in the blood. Carbon dioxide moves in the opposite direction, going from an area of high partial pressure in the blood to an area of low partial pressure in the alveoli. In the tissues, the opposite occurs, with oxygen moving from a high partial pressure in the blood to an area of low partial pressure in the tissues, and carbon dioxide moving from an area of high partial pressure in the tissues to an area of low partial pressure in the blood.