Essay on Carbon Monoxide Poisoning

I love nothing more than to stroll around the beautiful campus at State University. The scenery is breathtaking, especially with the promise of autumn about the air. During this particular time of the year, I find great enjoyment in taking a deep breath and inhaling the fragrant aroma of the surrounding nature. However, my enjoyment prematurely ends when the sudden smell of cigarette smoke engulfs me. Sound familiar? If you are a non-smoking student, this scene reflects everyday life on a smoking campus. Something must be done about this infringement upon non-smoker's rights. Is our health so meaningless as to be put at the mercy of carcinogens and toxins? I think not. Though State University provides non-smoking environments within

Oxygen is drawn into the lungs by a process called inhalation, (breathing in), which occurs when the diaphragm and intercostal muscles are contracted which causes the lungs to expand, giving a larger volume and therefore causing a lower pressure differential between the lungs, alveolar pressure, and the outside atmosphere. This inverse relationship between volume and pressure is called Boyle’s law. (Tortora & Derrickson, 2011)

Gas exchange is when oxygen is delivered from the lungs to the blood stream and carbon dioxide is taken out of the bloodstream and into the lungs. Gas exchange occurs within the lungs between the alveoli and capillaries which are in the walls of the alveoli. The walls of the alveoli share a membrane with the capillaries in which oxygen and carbon dioxide move freely between the respiratory system and the bloodstream. Oxygen molecules attach to red blood cells, which travel back to the heart. At the same time, the carbon dioxide in the alveoli are exhaled out of the body.

The same happens with Carbon Dioxide (CO2). The blood in the surrounding capillaries has a higher concentration of CO2 than the inspired air due to it being a waste product of energy production. This is when O2 and CO2 pass each other going back around the body systems to the heart. Once this is done the flow goes from Deoxygenated blood to Oxygenated blood.

 Once the oxygen-depleted cells are in the lungs, they travel into the alveoli where they lose their CO2 and trade it for oxygen. The oxygen is able to stay with the red blood cells because the cell have hemoglobin which is a protein which binds with oxygen.

a. P) Carbon monoxide molecules happen to be just the right size and shape, and happen to have just the right chemical properties, to fit neatly into cavities within hemoglobin molecules in blood that are normally reserved for oxygen molecules.

Explanation: A). Blood carries oxygen from the lungs to the cells of organs and tissues and carbon dioxide from those organs and tissues to the lungs inside our body.

Small air sacks called alveoli are at the tips of the bronchioles. When air reaches them, the oxygen concentration is high, which causes diffusion into red blood cells travelling through pulmonary capillaries (7). The red blood cells then distribute the new oxygen to the rest of the body. When they reach the alveoli again, they exchange carbon dioxide (a form of cell waste) for new oxygen, and repeat the process. The carbon dioxide is moved through the bronchioles, bronchi, and trachea in the form of exhalation.

The oxygen then holds together with hemoglobin, which is a special protein found in the red blood cells. The cells move throughout the body, by releasing the oxygen where it is needed and collecting carbon dioxide so that it can be released into the lungs.

a) In a patient with respiratory acidosis, the partial pressure of CO2 in the plasma (PCO2) rises above normal levels of 40 mmHg (1). Airway resistance due to asthma, respiratory depression due to drug use as well as chronic obstructive pulmonary disease all cause hypoventilation, lowering partial pressure of plasma oxygen (PO2) to below its normal value of approximately 100 mm Hg (1) and can lead to respiratory acidosis. The equation below describes the equation between CO2 and H2O with H+ and HCO3-. According to the law of mass action, all reactions tend towards equilibrium, and any disturbance in the amount of any of the products or reactants will shift the reaction in a direction which leads to re-establishment of equilibrium. If CO2 concentration rises, the new chemical equilibrium will favour further production of both H+ and HCO3- through disassociation of H2CO3. Each additional molecule of CO2 would lead to production of one molecule of H+ and HCO3-.

About 10% of carbon dioxide is dissolved in plasma or erythrocytes. 25-30% of carbon dioxide binds to amino group of plasma proteins and hemoglobin to form carbaminohemoglobin. 60-65% of carbon dioxide is hydrated to form carbonic acid which then dissociates into bicarbonate and hydrogen ions

These subunits are held together by ionic, hydrogen bonds, van der Waals forces, hydrophobic interactions as well as heme groups that are made up of Fe2+. Hemoglobin can be found in two different states. The first state is known as the T-state when it is tense and oxygen deprived. The second state is known as R-state when is relaxed and oxygenated. Hemoglobin first binds to oxygen then transports it to blood vessels, which have low oxygen levels. After it releases the oxygen the blood vessels, the red cells then transports carbon dioxide (CO2) from the tissues to the lungs where it picks oxygen once more.

Haemoglobin is a protein molecule found in red blood cells (RBC). Its role in the body is to transport oxygen from the lungs to the body 's tissues and then returns carbon dioxide from the tissues back to the lungs. The transportation of oxygen is only possible when haemoglobin (Hb) within the RBC binds to oxygen. (Martini & Nath, 2006)

Specific Purpose: To inform my audience how to become more aware of the dangers of carbon monoxide and how to prevent exposure.

Since the Industrial Revolution, there has been an increased presence of pollutants and carcinogens in the environment, specif-ically in urban areas.1 The presence of airborne pollutants can lead to an increase in allergic reactions and asthma rates. A common airborne pollutant is carbon monoxide (CO), which is commonly found in diesel exhaust. It is an odorless gas produced from me-thane and non-methane hydrocarbon oxidation.2 The toxic gas eliminates and takes the place of oxygen in the form of carboxy-hemoglobin when it binds to hemoglobin in red blood cells. It also affects the binding sites of heme groups, which complicates the transfer of oxygen to tissues.3 The majority of deaths from carbon monoxide poisoning is brought on from car exhaust.4 Between the years 1979 and 1988, 57% of deaths from carbon monoxide poi-soning were brought from car exhaust. There tend to be higher rates of carbon monoxide poisoning from car exhaust in northern regions, where temperatures are relatively low (Figure 1). 5