Smoking and the respiratory system

Overview

Carbon monoxide and oxygen transport, damaged cilia, smoker's cough, bronchitis, emphysema and COPD, tar and nicotine, and effects on VO₂ max and OBLA.

What you need to know

Answer each one before you reveal it.

Questions from this subtopic

Each one with the model answer underneath.

1. 1

   How does carbon monoxide in cigarette smoke affect oxygen transport?

   Model answer

   Carbon monoxide binds to haemoglobin far more readily than oxygen does, forming carboxyhaemoglobin. Less haemoglobin is free to carry oxygen to the muscles.

2. 2

   Roughly how much greater is haemoglobin's affinity for carbon monoxide than for oxygen?

   Model answer

   Haemoglobin's affinity for carbon monoxide is over 200 times greater than its affinity for oxygen.

3. 3

   How does smoking damage the cilia in the airways?

   Model answer

   Chemicals in smoke paralyse and damage the cilia lining the airways. Mucus and trapped particles are no longer swept away, so they collect in the lungs.

4. 4

   What is a smoker's cough?

   Model answer

   A smoker's cough is the body's attempt to clear mucus that the damaged cilia cannot remove.

5. 5

   How does smoking cause bronchitis?

   Model answer

   Smoke irritates and inflames the bronchi and bronchioles. The airways swell and produce extra mucus, narrowing them and making breathing harder.

6. 6

   What is emphysema, and how does it affect gas exchange?

   Model answer

   Emphysema is the breakdown of the alveolar walls, often caused by smoking. Fewer, larger air spaces reduce the surface area for gas exchange.

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