Fick's Law of Diffusion

Ficks Law of Diffusion

By: Mollee Lamm (Click on the small circles beside each title)

The Equation

What is a-VO2?

Key Components

More In depth

Implications

Real World

The Fick Equation

VO2 = Q x (a-v O2) This equation is the relationship between the bodys oxygen consumption (VO2) to the arterial-venous oxygen difference (a-VO2) and cardiac output Q.

Arterial Venous Oxygen Difference

The a-VO2 is the difference in oxygen from the arteries to the veins.(O2 in arteries - O2 in veins)

• This graph shows the linear relationship between a-VO2 and heartrate. This relarionship involves trained individuals during submaximal exercise. This basically just shows how heart rate will oncrease along with oxygen uptake due to a higher intensity
• Blue is males because they tend to have a lower HR when exercising then females.
• Red is females

Ficks Law of Diffusion

This law is about how different molecules usually tend to spread from areas of high concentration to areas of low concentration due to the pressure. It's the muscles ability to extract and use O2

Real World

The process of O2 and CO2 exchange in the respiratory system. In the lungs, O2 diffuses across the alveolar membrane and into the bloodstream. During this, CO2 is also being diffused, but instead of going into the bloodstream it is leaving and going into the alveoli which then is expelled during exhalation. As someone is exercising, they are having to breathe faster in order to keep up with the increased demand for oxygen to take to the muscles. This all can be explained through Fick's Law of Diffusion bcause the rate of the gas is influenced by things such as surface area of alveoli, thickness of the membrane and the concentration gradient.