Hi Guys,
I'm in Bio 3/4 and I have this question.
When mountain climbers reach high altitudes the concentration of gas particles decreases. What affect would this have on the diffusion of carbon dioxide? Explain.
Thank you to the people who reply
Owlbird83 is spot on, but just for interest I will explain further how the principles of diffusion relate to this (this is beyond the SD- and is soley for interest)
Below is an image of the oxygen-binding curve
*Note Hb = haemoglobin (the protein that carries oxygen in the blood)
We are interested in the blue line; the blue line presents where there is less partial pressure of oxygen compared to normal which is seen in high altitudes (because there is less oxygen availability in high altitudes)
As a result, the body has adapted to overcome there reduced oxygen availability by reaching Hb saturation (i.e. when the haemoglobin is fully occupied with oxygen) quicker compared to normal.
This also explains why people who live in high altitudes are able to survive, the amount of Hb increases in the blood in high altitudes in response to a decrease in oxygen availblity.
For the sake of VCE bio, Owlbird's answer would be sufficient but if you were interested in how this relates to the human body here ya go