Gases move from areas of high (total) gas pressure to areas of low (total) gas pressure. Also, the pressure of a “canned” gas changes if the container volume changes: pressure increases if the volume of the container decreases, and pressure decreases if the volume of the container increases. Why are these principles relevant to respiratory physiology?
a. they explain how CO2 binds reversibly to Hb
b. they explain how we can ventilate by changing the size of our lungs
c. they determine the S-shape of the O2-Hemoglobin (Hb) dissociation curve
d. they determine the partial pressure of O2 (PO2) in the alveoli