Abstract: This Memorandum expresses the basic material balance relationships
for the lung-blood-tissue gas transport and exchange system in a set
of differential-difference equations containing a number of dependent
time delays. Additional equations define the chemical details of
transport and acid-base buffering, concentration equilibria, and blood
flow behavior. Finally, a control function is included defining the
dependence of ventilation upon CSF (H ), and PO2
at the carotid chemoceptors. A Fortran program was written for
convenient digital simulation of the responses of the system to a
wide variety of forcings, including C02 inhalation, hypoxia at: sea
level, altitude hypoxia, and metabolic disturbances in acid-base
balance. Both dynamic and steady-state behavior of the model were
reasonably realistic.
