Aviation Physiology Case Study

Aviation Physiology

Introduction

Human beings can adjust to different environmental conditions (Wilson, 2016). In this case, the human body acclimates to external temperatures and variations in barometric pressure. Therefore, this homeostatic response is critical to adjust to unique environmental conditions, which differ from one habitat to the other. In addition, the reaction ensures that the body meets the ever-changing energy demands due to the variations in the amount of mental and physical activity, which the body is exposed to. Along with that line, the body can adjust to either chronic or acute reduction in the levels of available oxygen in the atmosphere. It achieves this by increasing the rate of respiration as well as the generation of the red blood cells. In aviation, the requirements for execution of the body’s compensatory mechanisms are of considerable magnitude as well as vast in number (Payne, 2014). For instance, the changes in the environment, which are of physiological significance during flight,

Along with that line, if a health and clothed individual is exposed to high altitudes of about 45,000 feet above sea level, he or she is likely to lose consciousness within 9-12 seconds (Payne, 2014). In addition, death occurs afterward due to significant declines in oxygen’s partial pressure, which is low at high altitudes. Therefore, the air manifests such behavior since it consists of a mixture of gases. From that perspective, the air is subjected to different laws, which apply to all gases. In this case, various rules can be utilized to explain their application in aviation and implications on human physiology. To be precise, the general principles of flight physiology are based on independent variables exemplified by volume, barometric pressure, and temperature (Quizlet,