Question

2. Describe how wearing a corset could affect pulmonary ventilation and alveolar ventilation rate. Include Boyle's law, as well as the pressures and physical structures that are involved.

Answer 1

Answers

respiration is both active and passive process,

inspiration is air entryinto lungs , which is active process .normaly thoracic cavity has slight negetive pressure which help in keeping the airways of lungs open.in inhalation active contraction of  muscle like diaphram , intercostal muscle occurs, which increases the volume of thoracic cavity and thus pressure decreases compared to atmospheric pressure and air entry occur. this is based on boyles law, which states that pressure of a given mass of an ideal gas is inversibily propotional to its volume at constant temperature.

upon exhalation ,lung recoil to force the air out of lungs , the intercostal muscles , diaphram relaxes, moving higher position in thorax , which increases pressure in thoracic cavity so that air rush out of lungs due to pressure gradient between thorax and atmosphere. it is a passive process

wearing a corset could affect the air flow into and out of lungs. because if we use corset , it will lead to compression force from externaly to thorax , so that normal negetive pressure of lung decreases and normal amount of air inside a resting lung ,residual volume (volume of air remaining in lungs after maximal exhalation) will be low. and while doing inspiration thoracic cavity expansion will be less due to this opposing force by corset , leads to high pressure situation inside thoracic cavity and less air entry. but during expiration elastc recoil of lung along with external compression will increase pressure inside th thorax and more air rush out of lungs.

in this situation body not getting adequate oxygen supply so that pulmonary ventilaton rate will be increased

alveolar ventilation rate is volume of new air reaches the alveoli fo gaseous exchange.calculated by

(tidal volume - physiological dead space ) * breathing rate.     

so according to equation , here breathing rate is increasing , so that alveolar ventilation increased