ANIMAL PHYSIOLOGY
GAS EXCHANGE IN HUMANS
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Question
[CLICK ON ANY CHOICE TO KNOW THE RIGHT ANSWER]
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the heartbeat rate of a person is faster at higher altitude.
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the percentage of oxygen in air drops at higher altitude.
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the metabolic rate of a person is faster at higher altitude.
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the amount of oxygen inhaled in each breath of a person is lesser at higher altitude.
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Detailed explanation-1: -As altitude increases, the amount of gas molecules in the air decreases-the air becomes less dense than air nearer to sea level. This is what meteorologists and mountaineers mean by “thin air.” Thin air exerts less pressure than air at a lower altitude.
Detailed explanation-2: -As altitude increases, the amount of air over a unit area decreases. Therefore, the atmospheric pressure will reduce due to lower air molecules.
Detailed explanation-3: -Since more than half of the atmosphere’s molecules are located below an altitude of 5.5 km, atmospheric pressure decreases roughly 50% (to around 500 mb) within the lowest 5.5 km. Above 5.5 km, the pressure continues to decrease but at an increasingly slower rate.
Detailed explanation-4: -The air at higher altitudes is colder, less dense, and contains fewer oxygen molecules. This means that you need to take more breaths in order to get the same amount of oxygen as you would at lower altitudes. The higher the elevation, the more difficult breathing becomes.