A mountain climber ascends to an altitude where the partialpressure of oxygen in the atmosphere is very low.
a. What happens to the climber’s ventilation rate?
b. Which chemoreceptor (oxygen or carbon dioxide/pH) would causethis change in ventilation rate at high altitude? Your answershould reflect that you know the stimuli for change in ventilationrate under different conditions
c. What happens to plasma concentrations of carbon dioxide aftera period of time hyperventilation?
d. What happens to plasma pH after a period of time at highaltitude? Your answer should reflect that you understand therelationship between CO2 levels and pH.
e. What happens to levels of erythropoietin in the blood after aperiod of time at high elevations? Your answer should include thestimulus for the release of EPO
f. How does a low concentration of oxygen in the alveoli affectthe state of contraction of pulmonary arterioles?
g. Explain why pulmonary edema is a symptom of altitudesickness. Your answer should demonstrate your understanding offluid exchanges at the capillary level
