Beachey: Respiratory Care Anatomy and Physiology, 2nd Edition

Answers to Concept Questions

Chapter 11: Control of Ventilation

11-1	Both of these structures inhibit inspiration; in their absence, inspiration would consist of prolonged deep inspiratory gasps.

11-2	Elevated PaCO2 would stimulate central chemoreceptors more readily than increased arterial [H+] because the blood-brain barrier is freely permeable to carbon dioxide but not to H+.

11-3	These people have compensated respiratory acidosis, meaning their arterial pHs or H+ concentrations are normal. The central chemoreceptors are sensitive to H+ ions, not the carbon dioxide molecule. Thus central chemoreceptors sense a normal environment in fully compensated respiratory acidosis.