The independent effects of atmospheric pressure and oxygen partial pressure on gas exchange of the chicken embryo.

CO2 production and air cell PCO2 were continuously measured during late development in the chicken egg while acutely exposed from one to three hours to various O2 concentrations ranging from 11 to 39%. A small but significant increase in metabolism, ca. 8%, was found when O2 concentration was above normal values, while a reduction to 70% was observed when O2 concentrations were below normal, and fell to 50% when maintained for three hours. These values were also compared with metabolic rates reported by Lokhorst and Romijn (1965, 1967)) who incubated eggs continuously at reduced O2 concentrations as well as under reduced barometric pressure, and showed that at the same ambient PO2 the metabolism was significantly higher in the eggs at reduced barometric pressure. We attribute this difference to the increased diffusion coefficient of O2 which is inversely related to the barometric pressure. It illustrates that the ambient partial pressure of O2 and ambient atmospheric pressure exert an independent effect upon gas exchange of the avian embryo.