Question

A wound making a hole through a person's chest will cause him difficulty in breathing mainly because:

• A. It would damage the nerves to the diaphragm
• B. Air breathed in through the mouth and nose would escape through hole
• C. The negative pressure caused by the action of the diaphragm would be lost through the hole
• D. Air would enter the lungs through the hole instead of the normal route thoroughly trachea and bronchi

Answer 1

The correct option is C

The negative pressure caused by the action of the diaphragm would be lost through the hole

The correct answer is option (C).

Explanation of the correct option:

1. The diaphragm is present between the thoracic and the abdominal cavity.
2. During inspiration, the diaphragm contracts which leads to an increase in the thoracic cavity volume.
3. This increase in volume results in the production of negative pressure within the thoracic cavity.
4. A hole in a person's chest will lead to difficulty in breathing because the negative air pressure which is needed for the inspiration would not be able to develop properly.

Explanation of the incorrect options:

Option (A):

The difficulty in breathing due to a hole in the chest will not be majorly due to nerve damage in the diaphragm.

Option (B):

The difficulty in breathing due to a hole in the chest will not be caused because the air breathed in is escaping through the hole.

Option (D):

Air enters the lungs only through the nose and mouth.

Final answer: A wound making a hole through a person's chest will cause him difficulty in breathing mainly because the negative pressure caused by the action of the diaphragm would be lost through the hole.