Here's how it works:
* Carbon dioxide absorption: When blood travels through the body, it picks up carbon dioxide (CO2) produced by cells as a waste product of metabolism. The CO2 dissolves in the blood plasma and also binds to hemoglobin in red blood cells.
* Oxygen transport: Red blood cells contain hemoglobin, a protein that binds to oxygen. When the blood travels to the lungs, the oxygen from inhaled air diffuses into the blood and binds to hemoglobin.
* Oxygen release: As the oxygen-rich blood travels to the body's tissues, the oxygen detaches from hemoglobin and diffuses into the cells.
* Carbon dioxide release: At the lungs, the carbon dioxide detaches from hemoglobin and diffuses into the air sacs (alveoli) in the lungs, to be exhaled.
So, the red blood cell is the key player in the gas exchange process, transporting both oxygen and carbon dioxide within the body.
