BIO 436 – Respiration Test Questions
and Correct Answers
Ventilation is a result of ✅skeletal muscle contraction
When the diaphragm contracts, ✅the volume in thoracic cavity increases
What is inspiration? ✅increase in thoracic volume reduces pressure in thoracic cavity,
allowing atmospheric gas to enter lungs
What is expiration? ✅as diaphragm relaxes, pressure in thoracic cavity increases as
volume decreases, forcing air out of lungs
What is pulmonary minute ventilation? ✅amount of air that flows into and out of lungs
in 1 minute
What is the rate of normal, quiet breathing? ✅500 mL (0.5 liters) of air into and out of
lungs with each breath
What is tidal volume? ✅amount of air inspired and expired with each breath under
resting conditions (500 mL)
What is inspiratory reserve volume? ✅amount of air that can be forcefully inspired after
a normal tidal volume inspiration (~3100 mL)
What is expiratory reserve volume? ✅amount of air that can be forcefully expired after
a normal tidal volume expiration (~ 1200ml)
What is residual volume? ✅amount of air remaining in the lungs after forceful and
complete expiration (~ 1200ml)
What is total lung capacity? ✅maximum amount of air that can be inspired and then
expired with maximal effort: TLC = TV + IRV + ERV + RV (~ 6000ml)
What is vital capacity? ✅maximum amount of air that can be inspired and then expired
with maximal effort: VC = TV + IRV + ERV (~4800ml)
What is forced vital capacity? ✅amount of air that can be expelled when the subject
takes the deepest possible inspiration and forcefully expires as completely and rapidly
as possible
, What is forced expiratory volume? ✅measures the percentage of the vital capacity that
is expired during 1 second of the FVC test (normally 75%-85% of the vital capacity)
Emphysema ✅- significant loss of elastic recoil in lung tissue
- loss of elastic recoil occurs as disease destroys walls of alveoli
- airway resistance increases as lung tissue becomes more flimsy and exerts less
anchoring on surrounding airways
- lung becomes overly compliant and expands easily
- great effort required to expire because lungs can no longer passively recoil and deflate
- expires slowly
What is acute asthma attack breathing? ✅- bronchiole smooth muscle spasms and
airways become constricted
- clogged w/ thick mucus secretions
- significantly increased airway resistance
- airway inflammatory response brought on by triggers such as allergens, extreme temp.
changes, and exercise
- airways collapse and pinch closed before forced expiration is completed
- volumes and peak flow rates are significantly reduced during asthma attack
What is an inhaler? ✅- atomizes medication for acute asthma attacks and allows for
direct application onto afflicted airways
- med includes a smooth muscle relaxant (B2 agonist such as albuterol) that relieves
bronchospasms and induces bronchiole dilation
- also contain an anti-inflammatory agent, such as corticosteroid, that suppresses the
inflammatory response
What is pneumothorax? ✅- any opening created in pleural membranes equalizes the
intrapleural pressure with atmospheric pressure by allowing air to enter the pleural
cavity
- can lead to lung collapse (atelectasis)
What is acid-base balance? ✅pH of body's fluid
What are the 2 major physiological buffering systems? ✅renal system and respiratory
system
What is metabolic acidosis? ✅characterized by low plasma HCO3- and pH
What causes metabolic acidosis? ✅- ketoacidosis, a buildup of keto acids that can
result from diabetes mellitus
- salicylate poisoning, a toxic condition resulting from ingestion of too much aspirin or oil
of wintergreen (a substance often found in laboratories)
- the ingestion of too much alcohol, which metabolizes into acetic acid - diarrhea, which
results in the loss of bicarbonate with the elimination of intestinal contents
and Correct Answers
Ventilation is a result of ✅skeletal muscle contraction
When the diaphragm contracts, ✅the volume in thoracic cavity increases
What is inspiration? ✅increase in thoracic volume reduces pressure in thoracic cavity,
allowing atmospheric gas to enter lungs
What is expiration? ✅as diaphragm relaxes, pressure in thoracic cavity increases as
volume decreases, forcing air out of lungs
What is pulmonary minute ventilation? ✅amount of air that flows into and out of lungs
in 1 minute
What is the rate of normal, quiet breathing? ✅500 mL (0.5 liters) of air into and out of
lungs with each breath
What is tidal volume? ✅amount of air inspired and expired with each breath under
resting conditions (500 mL)
What is inspiratory reserve volume? ✅amount of air that can be forcefully inspired after
a normal tidal volume inspiration (~3100 mL)
What is expiratory reserve volume? ✅amount of air that can be forcefully expired after
a normal tidal volume expiration (~ 1200ml)
What is residual volume? ✅amount of air remaining in the lungs after forceful and
complete expiration (~ 1200ml)
What is total lung capacity? ✅maximum amount of air that can be inspired and then
expired with maximal effort: TLC = TV + IRV + ERV + RV (~ 6000ml)
What is vital capacity? ✅maximum amount of air that can be inspired and then expired
with maximal effort: VC = TV + IRV + ERV (~4800ml)
What is forced vital capacity? ✅amount of air that can be expelled when the subject
takes the deepest possible inspiration and forcefully expires as completely and rapidly
as possible
, What is forced expiratory volume? ✅measures the percentage of the vital capacity that
is expired during 1 second of the FVC test (normally 75%-85% of the vital capacity)
Emphysema ✅- significant loss of elastic recoil in lung tissue
- loss of elastic recoil occurs as disease destroys walls of alveoli
- airway resistance increases as lung tissue becomes more flimsy and exerts less
anchoring on surrounding airways
- lung becomes overly compliant and expands easily
- great effort required to expire because lungs can no longer passively recoil and deflate
- expires slowly
What is acute asthma attack breathing? ✅- bronchiole smooth muscle spasms and
airways become constricted
- clogged w/ thick mucus secretions
- significantly increased airway resistance
- airway inflammatory response brought on by triggers such as allergens, extreme temp.
changes, and exercise
- airways collapse and pinch closed before forced expiration is completed
- volumes and peak flow rates are significantly reduced during asthma attack
What is an inhaler? ✅- atomizes medication for acute asthma attacks and allows for
direct application onto afflicted airways
- med includes a smooth muscle relaxant (B2 agonist such as albuterol) that relieves
bronchospasms and induces bronchiole dilation
- also contain an anti-inflammatory agent, such as corticosteroid, that suppresses the
inflammatory response
What is pneumothorax? ✅- any opening created in pleural membranes equalizes the
intrapleural pressure with atmospheric pressure by allowing air to enter the pleural
cavity
- can lead to lung collapse (atelectasis)
What is acid-base balance? ✅pH of body's fluid
What are the 2 major physiological buffering systems? ✅renal system and respiratory
system
What is metabolic acidosis? ✅characterized by low plasma HCO3- and pH
What causes metabolic acidosis? ✅- ketoacidosis, a buildup of keto acids that can
result from diabetes mellitus
- salicylate poisoning, a toxic condition resulting from ingestion of too much aspirin or oil
of wintergreen (a substance often found in laboratories)
- the ingestion of too much alcohol, which metabolizes into acetic acid - diarrhea, which
results in the loss of bicarbonate with the elimination of intestinal contents
