Skip to main content
Pearson+ LogoPearson+ Logo
Ch. 22 Gas Exchange
Taylor - Campbell Biology: Concepts & Connections 10th Edition
Taylor, Simon, Dickey, Hogan10th EditionCampbell Biology: Concepts & ConnectionsISBN: 9780136538783Not the one you use?Change textbook
All textbooksTaylor, Simon, Dickey, Hogan 10th EditionCh. 22 Gas ExchangeProblem 11
Chapter 22, Problem 11

Trace the path of an oxygen molecule in its journey from the air to a muscle cell in your arm, naming all the structures involved along the way.

Verified step by step guidance
1
Inhale air containing oxygen into the nasal cavity where it is warmed, moistened, and filtered.
Oxygen then travels through the pharynx, larynx, and enters the trachea.
The trachea divides into two bronchi, each leading to a lung. Within the lungs, the bronchi branch into smaller bronchioles.
Bronchioles end in clusters of alveoli, which are tiny air sacs surrounded by capillaries. Oxygen diffuses across the thin walls of the alveoli into the capillaries.
Oxygen binds to hemoglobin in red blood cells within the capillaries and is transported through the bloodstream to the muscle cells in your arm, where it is released to be used in cellular respiration.

Verified video answer for a similar problem:

This video solution was recommended by our tutors as helpful for the problem above.
Video duration:
1m
Was this helpful?

Key Concepts

Here are the essential concepts you must grasp in order to answer the question correctly.

Respiratory System

The respiratory system is responsible for the exchange of gases between the body and the environment. It includes structures such as the nose, trachea, bronchi, and lungs, where oxygen is inhaled and carbon dioxide is exhaled. The alveoli in the lungs are the primary sites for gas exchange, allowing oxygen to enter the bloodstream.
Recommended video:
Guided course
02:15
Lymphatic System

Circulatory System

The circulatory system transports oxygen-rich blood from the lungs to various tissues, including muscle cells. It consists of the heart, blood vessels, and blood. After oxygen diffuses into the bloodstream from the alveoli, it binds to hemoglobin in red blood cells, which then travel through arteries to deliver oxygen to cells throughout the body.
Recommended video:
Guided course
02:15
Lymphatic System

Cellular Respiration

Cellular respiration is the process by which cells convert glucose and oxygen into energy, carbon dioxide, and water. In muscle cells, oxygen is utilized in the mitochondria to produce ATP, the energy currency of the cell. This process is essential for muscle contraction and overall cellular function, highlighting the importance of oxygen delivery from the lungs to the cells.
Recommended video:
Guided course
03:39
Introduction to Cellular Respiration
Related Practice
Textbook Question

What do the alveoli of mammalian lungs, the gill filaments of fish, and the tracheal tubes of insects have in common?

a. Use of a circulatory system to transport gases

b. Respiratory surfaces that are infoldings of the body wall

c. Countercurrent exchange

d. A large, moist surface area for gas exchange

1572
views
Textbook Question

What is the primary feedback used by the brain to control breathing?

a. Heart rate

b. Partial pressure of O2

c. Blood pH, which indicates O2 level

d. Blood pH, which indicates CO2 level

831
views
Textbook Question
What are two advantages of breathing air, compared with obtaining dissolved oxygen from water? What is a comparative disadvantage of breathing air?
1850
views
Textbook Question

Carbon monoxide (CO) is a colorless, odorless gas found in furnace and automobile engine exhaust and cigarette smoke. CO binds to hemoglobin 210 times more tightly than does O2. CO also binds with an electron transport protein and disrupts cellular respiration. Explain why CO is such a deadly gas.

1338
views
Textbook Question

Partial pressure reflects the relative amount of gas in a mixture and is measured in millimeters of mercury (mm Hg). Llamas are native to the Andes Mountains in South America. The partial pressure of O2 (abbreviated PO₂) in the atmosphere where llamas live is about half of the PO₂ at sea level. As a result, the PO₂ in the lungs of llamas is about 50 mm Hg, whereas that in human lungs at sea level is about 100 mm Hg. A dissociation curve for hemoglobin shows the percentage of saturation (the amount of O2 bound to hemoglobin) at increasing values of PO₂ As you see in the graph below, the dissociation curves for llama and human hemoglobin differ. Compare these two curves and explain how the hemoglobin of llamas is an adaptation to living where the air is 'thin.'

1767
views
Textbook Question

Mountain climbers often spend weeks adjusting to the lower partial pressure of oxygen at high altitudes before and during their ascent of high peaks. During that time, their bodies begin to produce more red blood cells. Some runners and cyclists prepare for competition by training at high altitudes or by sleeping in a tent in which PO₂ is kept artificially low. Explain why this training strategy may improve an athlete's performance.

781
views