at sea level, there is free exchange of gases between the air in the alveoli and the dissolved gases in the blood stream
however as the diver descends there is an increase in the amount of gas dissolved in the blood
as the diver descends the total pressure of the gases in the alveoli becomes greater than atmospheric and, by Henry's law, the amount of the gases dissolved in the blood and thence in the body tissues becomes greater
the effects of different gases on the descent and stay at depth are outlined in the linked items
Notes:
Henry's Law of Solubility of Gases in a Liquid
states that the mass of a slightly soluble but inert gas that dissolves in a given amount of a liquid at a constant temperature is proportional to the partial pressure of that gas above the liquid
Mathematically: mn=cnPn
where mn is the mass of gas n that dissolves in the liquid, cn is the solubility constant for gas n and Pn is the partial pressure of gas n above the liquid
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