IB MYP Integrated Sciences e-Assessment : Gas exchange Exam Style Practice Questions - New Syllabus
Question (1 mark)
The following picture shows alveoli in healthy lungs that can efficiently exchange gases and alveoli in diseased lungs that cannot efficiently exchange gases. State one structural difference between the alveoli in healthy lungs and the alveoli in diseased lungs.
▶️Answer/Explanation
Ans:
Healthy Alveoli:
Thin-Walled and Elastic: Facilitate efficient gas exchange.
Large Surface Area: Many small alveoli optimize gas exchange.
Surfactant: Lowers surface tension, facilitating inflation.
Diseased Alveoli:
Scarring and Thickening: Fibrosis decreases elasticity and gas exchange.
Rupture and Decreased Surface Area: Rupture of alveolar walls in emphysema reduces surface area and compromise gas exchange.