BIOM 525 EXAM 4 HUMAN PHYSIOLOGY
FLASHCARDS AND HIGH-YIELD TOPICS 2026
◉ thoracic pressure. Answer: ______________________ differences cause
lung volume changes.
◉ Boyles law. Answer: moving from high to low pressures
◉ atmospheric pressure. Answer: All pressures are relative to
____________________ (760 mmHg at sea level)
◉ atmospheric pressure. Answer: P atm
◉ P atm. Answer: the air that surrounds the body
◉ P1V1 = P2V2. Answer: What is Boyle's law formula?
◉ alveolar pressure (intrapulmonary). Answer: ___________________
changes to drive the movement of air.
◉ alveolar pressure. Answer: P alv
,◉ P alv. Answer: the pressure of the alveoli
◉ inspiration. Answer: What happens when P alv is less than P atm?
◉ expiration. Answer: What happens when P alv is greater than P
atm?
◉ transpulmonary pressure (P tp). Answer: pressure holding lungs
open
◉ P tp = P alv - P ip. Answer: What is the transpulmonary pressure
equation?
◉ transpulmonary pressure. Answer: difference in pressure allows
lungs to stick to the chest wall (keeps them in place)
◉ intrapleural pressure (P ip). Answer: pressure in pleural space
◉ intrapleural pressure. Answer: this pressure fluctuates with
breathing, but it is always less than P alv
◉ lung compliance. Answer: change in volume due to change in
transpulmonary pressure
,◉ 1. elasticity
2. surface tension. Answer: What are the two major determinants for
lung compliance?
◉ a recoil: a return to initial size. Answer: What does elasticity allow
for?
◉ surfactant. Answer: -reduces cohesive forces between water and
alveolar surface (surface tension)
-this increases lung compliance, lungs expand easier
◉ deep breaths. Answer: _____________ stretch type II cells and
stimulates secretion of surfactants.
◉ right ventricle is pumping blood through pulmonary arteries and
arterioles and into the capillaries surrounding each alveolus.
Answer: What's the cardiovascular system doing during the
respiratory cycle?
◉ inspiration. Answer: -when muscles contract in the chest wall, the
chest expands
, -diaphragm is contracted downward and the thoracic cavity is larger
◉ expiration. Answer: muscles relax and the recoil drives passive
expiration back out
◉ from external environment into alveoli of the lungs. Answer: What
is the movement of air for inspiration?
◉ from alveoli to external environment. Answer: What is the
movement of air for expiration?
◉ by motor neurons firing AP to intercostal muscles (between ribs)
and diaphragm. Answer: How is inspiration initiated?
◉ inspiration. Answer: -diaphragm contracts and provides the most
important inspiratory muscle (No AP = no contraction)
-enlarging thoracic cavity allows lungs to enlarge and cause increase
in size of alveoli
-active movement
◉ expiration. Answer: -motor neurons decrease AP to diaphragm
and intercostals, muscles relax
FLASHCARDS AND HIGH-YIELD TOPICS 2026
◉ thoracic pressure. Answer: ______________________ differences cause
lung volume changes.
◉ Boyles law. Answer: moving from high to low pressures
◉ atmospheric pressure. Answer: All pressures are relative to
____________________ (760 mmHg at sea level)
◉ atmospheric pressure. Answer: P atm
◉ P atm. Answer: the air that surrounds the body
◉ P1V1 = P2V2. Answer: What is Boyle's law formula?
◉ alveolar pressure (intrapulmonary). Answer: ___________________
changes to drive the movement of air.
◉ alveolar pressure. Answer: P alv
,◉ P alv. Answer: the pressure of the alveoli
◉ inspiration. Answer: What happens when P alv is less than P atm?
◉ expiration. Answer: What happens when P alv is greater than P
atm?
◉ transpulmonary pressure (P tp). Answer: pressure holding lungs
open
◉ P tp = P alv - P ip. Answer: What is the transpulmonary pressure
equation?
◉ transpulmonary pressure. Answer: difference in pressure allows
lungs to stick to the chest wall (keeps them in place)
◉ intrapleural pressure (P ip). Answer: pressure in pleural space
◉ intrapleural pressure. Answer: this pressure fluctuates with
breathing, but it is always less than P alv
◉ lung compliance. Answer: change in volume due to change in
transpulmonary pressure
,◉ 1. elasticity
2. surface tension. Answer: What are the two major determinants for
lung compliance?
◉ a recoil: a return to initial size. Answer: What does elasticity allow
for?
◉ surfactant. Answer: -reduces cohesive forces between water and
alveolar surface (surface tension)
-this increases lung compliance, lungs expand easier
◉ deep breaths. Answer: _____________ stretch type II cells and
stimulates secretion of surfactants.
◉ right ventricle is pumping blood through pulmonary arteries and
arterioles and into the capillaries surrounding each alveolus.
Answer: What's the cardiovascular system doing during the
respiratory cycle?
◉ inspiration. Answer: -when muscles contract in the chest wall, the
chest expands
, -diaphragm is contracted downward and the thoracic cavity is larger
◉ expiration. Answer: muscles relax and the recoil drives passive
expiration back out
◉ from external environment into alveoli of the lungs. Answer: What
is the movement of air for inspiration?
◉ from alveoli to external environment. Answer: What is the
movement of air for expiration?
◉ by motor neurons firing AP to intercostal muscles (between ribs)
and diaphragm. Answer: How is inspiration initiated?
◉ inspiration. Answer: -diaphragm contracts and provides the most
important inspiratory muscle (No AP = no contraction)
-enlarging thoracic cavity allows lungs to enlarge and cause increase
in size of alveoli
-active movement
◉ expiration. Answer: -motor neurons decrease AP to diaphragm
and intercostals, muscles relax
