BIOL 1410 - RESPIRATORY SYSTEM
QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS | LATEST
VERSION | 2024/2025 | GRADED A+
What is the primary function of the respiratory system?
✔✔ The primary function of the respiratory system is to facilitate gas exchange, providing
oxygen to the body and removing carbon dioxide.
How do the alveoli contribute to gas exchange?
✔✔ Alveoli provide a large surface area with thin walls for oxygen to diffuse into the blood and
carbon dioxide to diffuse out, facilitating efficient gas exchange.
What role does the diaphragm play in breathing?
✔✔ The diaphragm contracts during inhalation, creating a vacuum that allows air to enter the
lungs, and relaxes during exhalation, pushing air out.
How does oxygen travel from the alveoli to the bloodstream?
✔✔ Oxygen diffuses across the thin alveolar and capillary walls into the blood, where it binds to
hemoglobin in red blood cells.
1
,What is the function of surfactant in the lungs?
✔✔ Surfactant reduces surface tension in the alveoli, preventing them from collapsing and
aiding in lung expansion during inhalation.
How does carbon dioxide move from the bloodstream into the alveoli?
✔✔ Carbon dioxide diffuses from the blood into the alveoli due to a concentration gradient,
where it is then exhaled from the body.
What is the significance of the pleura in the respiratory system?
✔✔ The pleura are membranes that encase the lungs and line the chest cavity, reducing friction
during breathing and maintaining a pressure gradient for lung inflation.
What is the function of the cilia in the respiratory tract?
✔✔ Cilia in the respiratory tract trap and move mucus and foreign particles up and out of the
airways, protecting the lungs from infection and irritation.
How is breathing regulated by the medulla oblongata?
2
, ✔✔ The medulla oblongata regulates breathing by sending signals to the respiratory muscles,
controlling the rhythm and rate of respiration in response to CO2 levels in the blood.
What is tidal volume, and why is it important?
✔✔ Tidal volume is the amount of air inhaled or exhaled during normal breathing. It is
important for maintaining adequate oxygen supply and carbon dioxide removal at rest.
How does the body respond to low oxygen levels in the blood (hypoxemia)?
✔✔ In response to hypoxemia, chemoreceptors in the body stimulate an increase in breathing
rate and depth to raise oxygen levels and expel carbon dioxide more rapidly.
What is the role of hemoglobin in oxygen transport?
✔✔ Hemoglobin in red blood cells binds to oxygen in the lungs and transports it to tissues
throughout the body, releasing oxygen where it is needed.
What structural adaptations make the lungs efficient at gas exchange?
✔✔ The lungs have a large surface area, thin alveolar walls, and extensive capillary networks, all
of which maximize the efficiency of gas exchange.
3
QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS | LATEST
VERSION | 2024/2025 | GRADED A+
What is the primary function of the respiratory system?
✔✔ The primary function of the respiratory system is to facilitate gas exchange, providing
oxygen to the body and removing carbon dioxide.
How do the alveoli contribute to gas exchange?
✔✔ Alveoli provide a large surface area with thin walls for oxygen to diffuse into the blood and
carbon dioxide to diffuse out, facilitating efficient gas exchange.
What role does the diaphragm play in breathing?
✔✔ The diaphragm contracts during inhalation, creating a vacuum that allows air to enter the
lungs, and relaxes during exhalation, pushing air out.
How does oxygen travel from the alveoli to the bloodstream?
✔✔ Oxygen diffuses across the thin alveolar and capillary walls into the blood, where it binds to
hemoglobin in red blood cells.
1
,What is the function of surfactant in the lungs?
✔✔ Surfactant reduces surface tension in the alveoli, preventing them from collapsing and
aiding in lung expansion during inhalation.
How does carbon dioxide move from the bloodstream into the alveoli?
✔✔ Carbon dioxide diffuses from the blood into the alveoli due to a concentration gradient,
where it is then exhaled from the body.
What is the significance of the pleura in the respiratory system?
✔✔ The pleura are membranes that encase the lungs and line the chest cavity, reducing friction
during breathing and maintaining a pressure gradient for lung inflation.
What is the function of the cilia in the respiratory tract?
✔✔ Cilia in the respiratory tract trap and move mucus and foreign particles up and out of the
airways, protecting the lungs from infection and irritation.
How is breathing regulated by the medulla oblongata?
2
, ✔✔ The medulla oblongata regulates breathing by sending signals to the respiratory muscles,
controlling the rhythm and rate of respiration in response to CO2 levels in the blood.
What is tidal volume, and why is it important?
✔✔ Tidal volume is the amount of air inhaled or exhaled during normal breathing. It is
important for maintaining adequate oxygen supply and carbon dioxide removal at rest.
How does the body respond to low oxygen levels in the blood (hypoxemia)?
✔✔ In response to hypoxemia, chemoreceptors in the body stimulate an increase in breathing
rate and depth to raise oxygen levels and expel carbon dioxide more rapidly.
What is the role of hemoglobin in oxygen transport?
✔✔ Hemoglobin in red blood cells binds to oxygen in the lungs and transports it to tissues
throughout the body, releasing oxygen where it is needed.
What structural adaptations make the lungs efficient at gas exchange?
✔✔ The lungs have a large surface area, thin alveolar walls, and extensive capillary networks, all
of which maximize the efficiency of gas exchange.
3
