What happens to non-respiratory gases in the lungs?

In summary, the gases in the air do not diffuse easily into the blood. However, because our blood contains more dissolved gas than we thought, carbon dioxide diffusion may become less efficient and thus our burning of fossil fuels may be inhibiting our ability to remove wastes and control blood pH.
  • #1
Amaterasu21
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TL;DR Summary
What happens to nitrogen, argon etc. in the alveoli?
Hi, a thought just occurred to me.
We all learned in school that oxygen diffuses from the air in the alveoli into the blood, and carbon dioxide diffuses from the blood into the air to be breathed out. But they never mention nitrogen, argon or any of the other gases in the air! Does something prevent them from diffusing across? Given that these are all relatively small non-polar molecules I'd imagine they'd all diffuse easily through the alveolar and capillary membranes, so probably not that. Or is the partial pressure of these gases dissolved in the blood identical to that in the air, leading to no diffusion gradient? In which case, blood contains way more dissolved nitrogen than I thought!

A second thought too: since the concentration of carbon dioxide in our atmosphere is going up, that must be reducing the concentration gradient for CO2 between the air and our deoxygenated blood. Does that mean carbon dioxide diffusion is becoming less efficient and thus our burning of fossil fuels is inhibiting our ability to remove wastes and control blood pH? I suppose it must be, but is this a negligible effect or a real concern?
 
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Here is an extreme example: an underwater landslide vigorously disturbed Lake Nyos in the Cameroons. Vast volumes of released CO2 killed more than 1000 people. Humans cannot adapt that fast.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lake_Nyos_disaster

Going up in elevation:
Humans respond to lower partial pressures of O2 by slowly increasing hematocrit (hemoglobin levels in blood) to compensate. So we can adapt to very slow changes. Andean people have genetic changes to accommodate lower partial pressures of O2 at elevation > 2700m

You may want to check out Decompression sickness ( bends) - another partial pressure change of gases: nitrogen in this case

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK537264/

So, what you thought is pretty reasonable, except maybe for the rapidity of change.
 
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Likes berkeman and pinball1970
  • #3
Amaterasu21 said:
Summary: What happens to nitrogen, argon etc. in the alveoli?

Or is the partial pressure of these gases dissolved in the blood identical to that in the air, leading to no diffusion gradient? In which case, blood contains way more dissolved nitrogen than I thought!
There is the solubility of the gas in blood to take into account.
You can look at these 2 sites to try and make some heads and tails of it.

wiki has a list of ingredients in the blood - no mention of Argon, perhaps it it too faint to list??
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_human_blood_components

This lists the solubility of inert gases in blood, although its from 1981 ( 40 years ago ) and somewhat incomplete, ...
https://www.researchgate.net/publication/16933250_Solubility_of_inert_gases_in_biological_fluids_and_tissues_A_review
At the end conclusion they write,
This compilation has attempted to summarize the equilibrium property of gas molecules most important to hyperbaric research and operations. How much gas can actually dissolve in the body'? Except fbr the well-studied clinical anesthetics cyclopropane, nitrous oxide. and halothane. and the common radiotracers krypton and xenon. the question remains unanswered. Of the more than -500 measurements tabulated in this repoft only a single determination was found that pertains directly to the hyperbaric environment (59). The discrepancies among different studies frequently exceeds a factor of 2. far too imprecise fbr most predictive work. The dearth of data is especially prominent for the peripheral tissues most at risk in hyperbaric exposures-i.e.. joints. ears, bones. and spinal cord-and fbr the gases most likely to be used-i.e.. nitrogen. helium. argon. and hydrogen.
 
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Likes pinball1970
  • #4
That all makes sense - the bends, of course! Thank you!
 

1. What happens to non-respiratory gases when we breathe?

Non-respiratory gases, such as nitrogen and argon, are not affected by the respiratory process and remain in the lungs. They are not absorbed into the bloodstream and are simply exhaled back out into the atmosphere.

2. Can non-respiratory gases cause harm if they accumulate in the lungs?

No, non-respiratory gases do not pose a threat to our health as they are not absorbed into the body. However, prolonged exposure to high levels of these gases can cause discomfort and dizziness.

3. Do non-respiratory gases play any role in the respiratory system?

No, non-respiratory gases do not play a direct role in the respiratory system. However, they do help to maintain the proper balance of gases in the atmosphere, which is essential for the respiratory process to occur effectively.

4. Are there any medical conditions that can affect the handling of non-respiratory gases in the lungs?

Some medical conditions, such as chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) or asthma, can affect the ability of the lungs to remove non-respiratory gases. This can lead to a buildup of these gases in the lungs and can cause breathing difficulties.

5. How do non-respiratory gases differ from respiratory gases in terms of their effects on the body?

Respiratory gases, such as oxygen and carbon dioxide, are essential for the body's cellular functions and can have significant effects on our health if imbalanced. Non-respiratory gases, on the other hand, do not have a direct impact on the body and are simply exhaled without any significant effects.

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