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I don't claim to be an expert or anything, but my thinking on this
is as follows:
The most significant driving force on the breathing reflex is from pH
sensors, as CO2 dissolved in the blood stream is manifested as carbonic
acid, hence lowering pH and triggering you to breathe. Think back on
shallow water blackout - what happens when you force CO2 levels abnormally
low and then use up O2, then drop it's partial pressure during ascent.
You take a nap, without warning, and without urge to take a breath.
aka then as CO2 is produced at levels mostly a function of your activity,
and sometimes more than at the surface if you are anxious, well, then,
it stands to reason that you'd need to breathe even more at depth.
The excess O2 is merely wasted with open circuit SCUBA.
At 10:12 AM 12/12/94 U, Roger Carlson wrote:
>A well educated non diver asked me a question yesterday, and caught me flat
>footed. If you are at depth, why can't you hold your breath longer? You have
>more O2 in your lungs, and CO2 would build up more slowly. Is it CO2 buildup in
>the body or brain, not the lungs, that causes the breathing reflex? And yet
>hemoglobin can't work with the air stored in the lungs for a sufficient refresh
>to suppress the breathing reflex?
>
>#----------------------------------------------------#
> Roger Carlson H 310-frogger
> Somewhere off Hermosa Beach, CA W 310-813-0858
> Roger_Carlson@at*.sp*.tr*.co* F 310-812-1363
>#----------------------------------------------------#
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-------------------------------------------------------------
Scot Anderson
email: scot@bt*.co*
scot@in*.co*
URL: http://www.btg.com/~scot/
Vienna, Virginia.
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