Effects of nicotine, tar and carbon monoxide.
Reveal answer
Nicotine: addictive, raises heart rate/blood pressure. Tar: carcinogens, damages cilia. CO: binds haemoglobin, less oxygen carried.
Key words: nicotine · tar · carbon monoxide
2(g) GAS EXCHANGE · RECALL
2.49 Biological consequences of smoking
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How does smoking cause a smoker’s cough?
Reveal answer
Tar damages cilia → mucus not moved → mucus builds up → coughing to clear it.
Key words: cilia · mucus
How does smoking cause emphysema?
Reveal answer
Smoke damages alveoli → walls break down → smaller surface area → less gas exchange.
Key words: surface area
Name four diseases linked to smoking.
Reveal answer
Lung cancer, emphysema (COPD), chronic bronchitis, coronary heart disease.
Key words: lung cancer · emphysema · heart
Does a correlation between smoking and cancer by itself prove cause?
Reveal answer
No; it needs controlled comparisons and a mechanism (carcinogens in tar) as well.
Key words: mechanism
What is meant by the term chronic bronchitis?
Reveal answer
Long-term airway inflammation with excessive mucus and persistent cough.
Key words: chronic bronchitis
What is meant by the term emphysema?
Reveal answer
Destruction of alveolar walls and elastic recoil, reducing gas-exchange area.
Key words: emphysema
What is meant by the term carcinogen?
Reveal answer
An agent that increases cancer risk by causing or promoting cellular damage.
Key words: carcinogen
What is meant by the term carboxyhaemoglobin?
Reveal answer
Haemoglobin bound to carbon monoxide.
Key words: carboxyhaemoglobin
What is meant by the term coronary heart disease?
Reveal answer
Disease caused by impaired blood supply through coronary arteries.
Key words: coronary heart disease
Smoke component to consequence: for Irritants and particulates, give the immediate biological change and the possible consequence.
Reveal answer
Immediate biological change: Cilia damaged; mucus increases. Possible consequence: Bronchitis and infection.
Key words: Irritants and particulates
Smoke component to consequence: for Inflammation/protease activity, give the immediate biological change and the possible consequence.
Reveal answer
Immediate biological change: Alveolar walls and elastin damaged. Possible consequence: Emphysema and reduced gas exchange.
Key words: Inflammation/protease activity
Smoke component to consequence: for Carcinogens, give the immediate biological change and the possible consequence.
Reveal answer
Immediate biological change: DNA mutations accumulate. Possible consequence: Lung and other cancers.
Key words: Carcinogens
Smoke component to consequence: for Carbon monoxide, give the immediate biological change and the possible consequence.
Reveal answer
Immediate biological change: Haemoglobin oxygen carriage falls. Possible consequence: Reduced tissue oxygenation.
Key words: Carbon monoxide
Smoke component to consequence: for Nicotine/vascular injury, give the immediate biological change and the possible consequence.
Reveal answer
Immediate biological change: Heart rate, vasoconstriction, clot/plaque risk increase. Possible consequence: Coronary heart disease and stroke risk.
Key words: Nicotine/vascular injury
True or false, and why? “Tar merely blocks alveoli like plugs.”
Reveal answer
False. Smoke drives inflammation and tissue destruction; emphysema involves loss of alveolar walls and elasticity.
True or false, and why? “Carbon monoxide binds haemoglobin irreversibly.”
Reveal answer
False. Its affinity is very high, but binding can reverse after exposure stops.
True or false, and why? “Nicotine is the main carcinogen in smoke.”
Reveal answer
False. Nicotine drives dependence and cardiovascular effects; many other smoke chemicals are carcinogenic.
True or false, and why? “Smoking causes coronary disease only because lungs absorb less oxygen.”
Reveal answer
False. It also damages vessels, promotes plaques and clotting, and changes cardiovascular activity.