Gas exchange surfaces and the lung Quiz
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5 questions, one answer each
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1. Which change would double the rate of diffusion across an exchange surface, according to Fick's law?
- A. Doubling the thickness
- B. Halving the surface area
- C. Doubling the surface area
- D. Halving the concentration difference
2. Which is the main reason a large mammal cannot rely on diffusion across its skin?
- A. Its surface area to volume ratio is too small
- B. Its skin is too thin
- C. Its cells need no oxygen
- D. Its diffusion distance is very short
3. What is the thickness of the wall of an alveolus?
- A. Several cell layers
- B. One cell
- C. Two cells plus a muscle layer
- D. A layer of cartilage
4. How does breathing help to maintain a steep oxygen concentration gradient?
- A. It removes oxygen from the blood
- B. It increases the thickness of the alveolar wall
- C. It makes the capillaries wider
- D. It replaces the alveolar air with air containing more oxygen
5. A patient's alveolar walls become twice as thick. What is the effect on the rate of diffusion, other factors constant?
- A. It doubles
- B. It halves
- C. It stays the same
- D. It increases fourfold