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Athar 12B Virtual Spirometry Lab

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6 views3 pages

Athar 12B Virtual Spirometry Lab

Uploaded by

athar
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Year 12 DP Biology SL/HL

Class work 1 (Simulation)


Topic: Gas Exchange
Sub-unit: Pulmonary Function Test
Title: Factors affecting the lung capacity of a person
Duration: 30 minutes
Total Marks: [30]

In this activity you will investigate how different factors affect the lung capacity of a person. Click
this link and watch the introductory video. When you finish watching the video, click the tab
“Spirometer” and follow the instructions below to complete the activity.

Instructions:
1. There are four parameters you can modify, age, height, gender, smoker or non-smoker.
2. Choose a parameter to manipulate one at a time. Set 5 data points for each parameter
you choose. Do 5 trials for each data point for each parameter
3. Record your data. [10]
4. Your data should be visualized, analyzed and given scientific interpretation [10]

Analyzed: As we can see in the above tables, the first parameter, which is age affects one lung
capacity for both genders. Both males and females are affected negatively by aging. For the
second parameter, which is height, it is evident that for both males and females, as height
increases, so does lung capacity. For gender, it can be determined that males overall,
regardless of any other factors, have higher lung capacity than females. For the last parameter,
which is smoking habits, smokers have drastically lower lung capacity.

Scientific Interpretation

Age and Lung Capacity: The data indicate a negative correlation between age and lung capacity
for both males and females. This suggests that as individuals age, their lung function tends to
decline. This decline could be due to the natural loss of elasticity in lung tissues, weakening of
respiratory muscles, and cumulative exposure to environmental factors, which contribute to
decreased lung capacity over time.

Height and Lung Capacity: The analysis shows a positive correlation between height and lung
capacity. Taller individuals typically have larger lung volumes because their thoracic cavity is
larger, allowing for greater expansion of the lungs. This trend is consistent for both males and
females, suggesting that body size plays a significant role in determining lung capacity.

Gender and Lung Capacity: It is observed that males generally exhibit higher lung capacity
compared to females, regardless of other factors. This difference can be attributed to
physiological differences, such as larger chest dimensions and lung volumes in males.
Additionally, hormonal factors and differences in muscle mass may contribute to this disparity.

Smoking Habits and Lung Capacity: Smokers have significantly lower lung capacity than
non-smokers, indicating a strong negative impact of smoking on lung function. Smoking
damages the lung tissues and impairs the airway, leading to reduced lung volume and capacity.
Chronic exposure to tobacco smoke can cause conditions like chronic obstructive pulmonary
disease (COPD), which further diminishes lung function

5. What conclusion can you draw from this study considering the effect of age, height,
gender, sm and non-sm on lung capacity. [5]

The conclusion is that all of these factors certainly do have an effect on lung capacity. With the
most drastically affecting factors being smoking or not and gender, though other parameters
also have their individual effects. None of the parameters have only a slight or unclear effect on
lung capacity.

6. State two examples of;


a. COPDs associated with the study of lung capacity and how they can be treated
b. Restrictive lung diseases and how they can be treated. Note that RLDs cannot be
diagnosed using spirometry alone. [5]

Emphysema, Chronic bronchitis

Pulmonary fibrosis, Sarcoidosis

7. Your report should be uploaded on Managebac in a task titled; lung virtual lab report.

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