A mechanical approach to the longitudinal dispersion of gas flowing in human airways

Related Experiment Video

Updated: Aug 12, 2026

A Microfluidic Model of Biomimetically Breathing Pulmonary Acinar Airways
09:39

A Microfluidic Model of Biomimetically Breathing Pulmonary Acinar Airways

Published on: May 9, 2016

A Ben Jebria

    Journal of Biomechanics
    |January 1, 1985
    PubMed

    More Related Videos

    The Diffusion of Passive Tracers in Laminar Shear Flow08:01

    The Diffusion of Passive Tracers in Laminar Shear Flow

    Published on: May 1, 2018

    Combining Volumetric Capnography And Barometric Plethysmography To Measure The Lung Structure-function Relationship08:25

    Combining Volumetric Capnography And Barometric Plethysmography To Measure The Lung Structure-function Relationship

    Published on: January 8, 2019

    Related Concept Videos

    Behavior of Gas Molecules: Molecular Diffusion, Mean Free Path, and Effusion03:48

    Behavior of Gas Molecules: Molecular Diffusion, Mean Free Path, and Effusion

    Although gaseous molecules travel at tremendous speeds (hundreds of meters per second), they collide with other gaseous molecules and travel in many different directions before reaching the desired target. At room temperature, a gaseous molecule will experience billions of collisions per second. The mean free path is the average distance a molecule travels between collisions. The mean free path increases with decreasing pressure; in general, the mean free path for a gaseous molecule will be...
    Bernoulli's Principle: Applications01:17

    Bernoulli's Principle: Applications

    There are many devices and situations in which fluid flows at a constant height and so can be analyzed using Bernoulli's principle. These devices include, but are not limited to, entrainment devices and fluid flow measuring devices.
    Entrainment devices use a high fluid speed to create low pressures and, thus, entrain one fluid into another. Some examples of these devices are given below:
    Factors Affecting Pulmonary Ventilation01:19

    Factors Affecting Pulmonary Ventilation

    Besides the pressure difference between the external environment and the lungs, the airflow rate and ease of pulmonary ventilation are also influenced by three other factors: surface tension of the fluid in the alveoli, compliance of the lungs, and airway resistance.
    Alveolar Surface Tension
    The alveolar fluid lines the luminal surface of the alveoli and exerts a force called surface tension. This force is caused by the polar water molecules in the liquid being more strongly attracted to each...
    Physical Principles Governing Gas Exchange01:16

    Physical Principles Governing Gas Exchange

    Gas behavior plays a vital role in understanding bodily processes such as external and internal respiration. External respiration involves the diffusion of oxygen into the blood and carbon dioxide out of it in the lungs. In contrast, internal respiration happens in body tissues, where these gases move in opposite directions.
    Gas Laws Governing Respiration
    The behavior of gases is guided by Dalton's Law of partial pressures and Henry's Law.
    Dalton's Law asserts that the total pressure exerted by...
    External and Internal Respiration01:24

    External and Internal Respiration

    External respiration occurs in the lungs, and it is the first step in the journey of oxygen inside the body. When we inhale, oxygen enters our lungs and diffuses across the thin alveolar membrane. The alveoli are tiny, air-filled sacs that provide a vast surface area for gas exchange. Oxygen in the alveoli has a higher partial pressure (105 mmHg) than in the adjacent pulmonary capillaries (40 mmHg), establishing a pressure gradient. As a result, oxygen molecules move from the alveoli into the...
    Application of Integration: Problem Solving01:30

    Application of Integration: Problem Solving

    The process of breathing involves the periodic intake and expulsion of air, known as the respiratory cycle, which typically lasts about five seconds. Modeling the volume of air inhaled into the lungs as a function of time provides insight into both the dynamics and efficiency of pulmonary ventilation. This volume is determined by integrating the airflow rate over time, which captures the cumulative effect of air entering the lungs.Sinusoidal Model of AirflowAirflow during respiration is not...