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Chapter 21: Problem 19

What causes high-altitude sickness, and what is high-altitude acclimatization?

Short Answer

Expert verified
High-altitude sickness occurs when the body cannot quickly acclimate to low oxygen levels and decreased atmospheric pressure at high elevations, which can result from individual susceptibility, rapid ascent, or overexertion. High-altitude acclimatization is the process of the body adapting to these conditions, involving increased respiratory and heart rates, production of more red blood cells and enzymes to improve oxygen utilization. Gradual acclimatization, by ascending slowly and taking rest days, is essential for preventing high-altitude sickness.

Step by step solution

01

1. Understanding the body's response to high altitudes

At higher elevations, the atmospheric pressure decreases, which leads to a reduction in the availability of oxygen. As a result, the body needs to adapt to this reduced oxygen in order to continue functioning efficiently.
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2. Causes of high-altitude sickness

High-altitude sickness, also known as acute mountain sickness (AMS), is caused by the body's inability to rapidly adapt to the low oxygen levels and decreased atmospheric pressure at high altitudes. This can be due to several factors, including individual susceptibility, ascending too rapidly, and overexertion during ascent. Some common symptoms of high-altitude sickness include headache, dizziness, nausea, shortness of breath, and difficulty sleeping.
03

3. How the body adapts to high altitudes: Acclimatization

High-altitude acclimatization is the process of the body adapting to the low oxygen levels at high elevations. This involves several physiological changes, including: - Increase in respiratory rate: The body breathes more rapidly to increase the amount of oxygen taken in. - Increase in heart rate: The heart pumps blood faster to deliver more oxygen to body tissues. - Production of more red blood cells: This adaptation increases the body's oxygen-carrying capacity. - Increase in the production of particular enzymes: These enzymes help the body utilize oxygen more efficiently.
04

4. The importance of gradual acclimatization

Gradual acclimatization is key to preventing high-altitude sickness, as it allows the body time to adapt to the reduced oxygen levels. Most experts recommend ascending slowly, not exceeding an elevation gain of roughly \(300\) to \(500\) meters per day above \(2,500\) meters, and taking a rest day every \(1,000\) meters to improve acclimatization. In conclusion, high-altitude sickness is caused by the body's inability to adapt quickly to the low oxygen levels at high elevations. High-altitude acclimatization helps the body adjust to this environment, allowing mountaineers, hikers, and other individuals spending significant time at high altitudes to avoid or reduce the symptoms of high-altitude sickness.

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Most popular questions from this chapter

A metal ion in a high-spin octahedral complex has two more unpaired electrons than the same ion does in a low-spin octahedral complex. Name some possible metal ions for which this would be true.

The complex ion \(\mathrm{Fe}(\mathrm{CN})_{6}{ }^{3-}\) is paramagnetic with one unpaired electron. The complex ion \(\mathrm{Fe}(\mathrm{SCN})_{6}{ }^{3-}\) has five unpaired electrons. Where does \(\mathrm{SCN}^{-}\) lie in the spectrochemical series relative to \(\mathrm{CN}^{-}\) ?

a. In the absorption spectrum of the complex ion \(\mathrm{Cr}(\mathrm{NCS})_{6}{ }^{3-}\), there is a band corresponding to the absorption of a photon of light with an energy of \(1.75 \times 10^{4} \mathrm{~cm}^{-1}\). Given \(1 \mathrm{~cm}^{-1}=\) \(1.986 \times 10^{-23} \mathrm{~J}\), what is the wavelength of this photon? b. The \(\mathrm{Cr}-\mathrm{N}-\mathrm{C}\) bond angle in \(\mathrm{Cr}(\mathrm{NCS})_{6}{ }^{3-}\) is predicted to be \(180^{\circ}\). What is the hybridization of the \(\mathrm{N}\) atom in the \(\mathrm{NCS}^{-}\) ligand when a Lewis acid-base reaction occurs between \(\mathrm{Cr}^{3+}\) and \(\mathrm{NCS}^{-}\) that would give a \(180^{\circ}\) \(\mathrm{Cr}-\mathrm{N}-\mathrm{C}\) bond angle? \(\mathrm{Cr}(\mathrm{NCS})_{6}{ }^{3-}\) undergoes sub- stitution by ethylenediamine (en) according to the equation $$ \mathrm{Cr}(\mathrm{NCS})_{6}^{3-}+2 \mathrm{en} \longrightarrow \mathrm{Cr}(\mathrm{NCS})_{2}(\mathrm{en})_{2}^{+}+4 \mathrm{NCS}^{-} $$ Does \(\mathrm{Cr}(\mathrm{NCS})_{2}(\mathrm{en})_{2}^{+}\) exhibit geometric isomerism? Does \(\mathrm{Cr}(\mathrm{NCS})_{2}(\mathrm{en})_{2}^{+}\) exhibit optical isomerism?

Which is more likely to be paramagnetic, \(\mathrm{Fe}(\mathrm{CN})_{6}{ }^{4-}\) or \(\mathrm{Fe}\left(\mathrm{H}_{2} \mathrm{O}\right)_{6}^{2+} ?\) Explain.

A blast furnace is used to reduce iron oxides to elemental iron. The reducing agent for this reduction process is carbon monoxide. a. Given the following data: \(\begin{aligned} \mathrm{Fe}_{2} \mathrm{O}_{3}(s)+3 \mathrm{CO}(g) & \longrightarrow 2 \mathrm{Fe}(s)+3 \mathrm{CO}_{2}(g) & & \Delta H^{\circ}=-23 \mathrm{~kJ} \\ 3 \mathrm{Fe}_{2} \mathrm{O}_{3}(s)+\mathrm{CO}(g) & \longrightarrow 2 \mathrm{Fe}_{3} \mathrm{O}_{4}(s)+\mathrm{CO}_{2}(g) & & \Delta H^{\circ}=-39 \mathrm{~kJ} \\ \mathrm{Fe}_{3} \mathrm{O}_{4}(s)+\mathrm{CO}(g) & \longrightarrow 3 \mathrm{FeO}(s)+\mathrm{CO}_{2}(g) & & \Delta H^{\circ}=18 \mathrm{~kJ} \end{aligned}\) determine \(\Delta H^{\circ}\) for the reaction $$ \mathrm{FeO}(s)+\mathrm{CO}(g) \longrightarrow \mathrm{Fe}(s)+\mathrm{CO}_{2}(g) $$ b. The \(\mathrm{CO}_{2}\) produced in a blast furnace during the reduction process actually can oxidize iron into \(\mathrm{FeO}\). To eliminate this reaction, excess coke is added to convert \(\mathrm{CO}_{2}\) into \(\mathrm{CO}\) by the reaction $$ \mathrm{CO}_{2}(g)+\mathrm{C}(s) \longrightarrow 2 \mathrm{CO}(g) $$ Using data from Appendix 4 , determine \(\Delta H^{\circ}\) and \(\Delta S^{\circ}\) for this reaction. Assuming \(\Delta H^{\circ}\) and \(\Delta S^{\circ}\) do not depend on temperature, at what temperature is the conversion reaction of \(\mathrm{CO}_{2}\) into CO spontaneous at standard conditions?
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