High altitude and space
physiology,Deep sea
physiology
High Altitude
• Region of earth located above 8000 ft from the mean sea level
• Characteristic feature of high altitude is low atmospheric pressure
• Due to low atmospheric pressure,partial pressure of gases particularly
oxygen decreases.It leads to hypoxia.
• Carbon dioxide in high altitude is very much negligible and it doesn’t
create any problem.
Changes in the body at high altitude
• At high altitude,various systems in the body cannot cope with
lowered oxygen tension and effects on f hypoxia starts
• Factors affecting body at high altitude include:–
• 1-hypoxia
• 2-expansion of gases
• 3-fall in atmospheric temperature
• 4-light rays
Barometric pressure,PO2 and altitudes
Effects of expansion of gases on the body
• Volume of gases increases when the barometric pressure is reduced.
• At high altitude,volume of the gases increases in the atmospheric air as
well as in the body due to decreased atmospheric pressure.
• At the sea level atmospheric pressure of 760 mmHg,if the volume of
gas is 1 litre,at height of 18000 ft(where atmospheric pressure is 379
mmHg )the volume of gas becomes 2 litre.
• Expansion of gas in GI tract causes painful distension of stomach and
intestine.Expansion of gases also destroy alveoli.
• During the rapid ascent from sea level to over 30000 ft height,the gas
evolves as bubbles resulting in Decompression sickness.
Effects of reduced atmospheric temperature
• Environmental temperature falls gradually at high altitudes.
• At height of 10000 ft the temp is zero.
• At altitude of 20000 ft the environmental temp is -22’c.
• Injury due to cold or frostbite occurs if body is not adequately
protected by warm clothes
Effects of light rays
• Skin injury can occurs due to harmful rays like UV rays of sunlight.
• The sun rays reflected by the snow may injure the retina of the eyes.
• These effects are severe in case of rapid ascent.
Motion
sickness
• Or altitude sickness
• Characterised by adverse
effects of hypoxia at high
altitude.
Symptoms of motion
sickness
• Loss of appetite,nausea,vomiting due to
expansion of gases in GI tract
• Heart rate and force of heart contraction
increases
• Blood flow to lungs increases due to
dialatation of blood vessels induced by
hypoxia.This results in pulmonary edema.
• Headache,dizziness,depression and
irritability due to vasodilatation in brain to
cope with hypoxia
Aviation
physiology
• Aviation physiology is the study of physiological responses of the body
in aviation environment.
• Flying exerts great effects on the body through accelerative forces and
gravitational forces.
• During acceleration Due to positive effects of gravitational
forces ,blood is pushed towards the lower parts of body including
abdomen.cardiac out decreases resulting in reduced blood supply to
brain which lead to hypoxia which can lead to graying of vision,black
out,loss of consciousness.
• While flying downwards,increase in the blood flow towards head
resulting in brain edema
Space physiology
EFFECTS OF TRAVEL BY SPACE CRAFT
• Most the physiological changes occur due weightlessness in space.
• CVS changes are due to fluid shift.Due to absence of gravity,blood
moves from lower part of body to upper part of body.it causes
enlargement of heart to cope with increased blood flow.
• Later body starts correcting it by excreting large volume of urine so
plasma volume decreases,RBC count also decreases and it is called
space anemia.
• Decrease in muscle mass and strength
• Motion sickness
Deep sea
physiology
• In deep sea,the problem is with
high barometric pressure which
causes 2 problems:
• 1-Compression effect on body
and internal organs
• 2-decrease in volume of gases
Effects of high barometric pressure
• Also called Nitrogen Narcosis (unconsciousnessproduced by nitrogen
at high pressure)
• It is common in deep sea divers who breathe compressed air(air
under high pressure ).Breathing compressed air is essential for a
deep sea diver in order to equalise surrounding high pressure acting
on thoracic wall and abdomen.
• 80% of the atmospheric air is nitrogen.when a person breathes
pressurised air as in deep sea the narcotic effects of nitrogen appears.
Decompression sickness
• Occurs when a person returns
rapidly to a normal surrounding
from area of high atmospheric
pressure like deep sea.
• High barometric pressure at sea
level leds to compression of gases
in body.when nitrogen is
compressed,it espaces from the
blood vessels and enters tissues.
Scuba
• Self contained underwater
breathing apparatus
• Used by deep sea divers to
prevent ill effects of increased
barometric pressure in deep sea
and tunnels
• Disadvantage is that person using
this can remain in sea for a short
period
Effects of exercise on respiration
• During exercise,hyperventilation
occurs.During moderate exercise
the RR increases to 30/min and
tidal vol increases to 2litres per
min.thus plum ventilation
increases to 60l/min during
moderate exercise(pulm vent is
product of TV and RR,500X12=6L
at rest)
• Diffusing capacity of oxygen
increases
