A. ACTIVITY
Briefly explain the main cause or mechanism of increase in respiratory rate or depth and/or respiratory difficulties in the following cases: (one to two sentences only)
1. Initiation of exercise
2. Moderate exercise
3. Abrupt ascent into high altitudes
4. Paralysis of phrenic nerve
5. Severe anemia
10. Advanced pregnancy
1. During exercise, your body requires more oxygen. As such, your body works harder to not only obtain more oxygen from the surrounding air but also to release the produced carbon dioxide from your body.
2. As the intensity of physical workout increases, the oxygen demand of the body further increases. As such, the respiratory rate is increased to supply the body’s muscles with enough oxygen and likewise remove the increased amount of produced carbon dioxide.
3. When ascending into high altitudes where oxygen levels are lower, the body increases the respiratory rate to compensate for the reduced availability of oxygen.
4. The phrenic nerve is crucial for breathing as it controls the diaphragm. If the nerve were to be paralyzed, the diaphragm becomes impaired which leads to shallow breathing.
5. Anemia is a condition wherein your blood produces below normal amount of healthy red blood cells. These red blood cells carry oxygen throughout the body; as such, to compensate for the reduced oxygen carrying capacity of the body, it has to increase the respiratory rate to improve circulation.
10. During pregnancy, the growing fetus requires more oxygen. As such, the body increases the respiratory rate to supply the necessary extra oxygen needed by the both mother and baby.