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Sent to Health Experts September 23 11:33 PM

Why do weoxygen and give off carbon dioxide?

 

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September 23 11:52 PM (18 minutes and 23 seconds later)
         
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Oxygen gives us the energy that we need to perform all activities and it supports the organs in their functions as well. Carbon dioxide is the waste product of metabolism. The air we breathe contains 21% oxygen and when it enters the lungs, it has a higher pressure than the oxygen in the tiny capillaries that are passing by. By the process of diffusion, the oxygen enters these capillaries and then returns to the heart to be distributed to all organs. At the same time, the carbon dioxide in the air inside the lungs is in a very low concentration (partial pressure) compared with these capillaries. So it offloads into the lungs and then is exhaled.
Trivia:
The lungs are an amazing set of organs, but one of the least efficient.
Carbon dioxide difuses 40 times faster than oxygen across the alveolar-capillary membrane.
We all need oxygen to survive, but some of us need more (supplemental oxygen).
Too much is not a good thing.



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