4: Distribution of Ventilation
- Page ID
- 34435
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- Describe the distribution of ventilation and how it is affected by gravity and lung volume.
- 4.1: Radial Traction
- Taking a breath-in one might imagine that each part of the lung gets an equal share of the inspired air. But regions of the lung are not equally ventilated. The unequal distribution is caused by 1) gravity and 2) lung volume.
- 4.2: Distribution of Ventilation Across the Lung
- The lung hangs in the thorax supported by the trachea and the surface tension adhering it’s outer surface to the inside of the thoracic cavity. Gravity obviously tends to pull the lung downward, and this pull has an unequal effect on alveoli at different heights of the lung.