An oxygen molecule is inhaled by a human After hitching ride on red blood cell its next?

After an oxygen molecule is inhaled by a human and hitches a ride on a red blood cell, its next destination is the cells in the body's tissues, where it will participate in cellular respiration, the process by which cells produce energy. Here's an overview of the journey of an oxygen molecule after it enters the body:

1. Inhalation: The oxygen molecule enters the body through inhalation, the process of breathing in. It passes through the nose or mouth and into the lungs.

2. Diffusion into Alveoli: Inside the lungs, the oxygen molecule diffuses across the thin walls of the alveoli, tiny air sacs in the lungs.

3. Oxygen Loading into Red Blood Cells: In the alveoli, the oxygen molecule encounters red blood cells, which contain a protein called hemoglobin. Hemoglobin binds to oxygen molecules, forming oxyhemoglobin. Each red blood cell can carry multiple oxygen molecules.

4. Transportation by Red Blood Cells: The red blood cells carrying the oxygen molecules leave the lungs and enter the bloodstream through tiny blood vessels called capillaries. The heart pumps the oxygenated blood throughout the body.

5. Diffusion into Tissues: As the oxygenated blood circulates through the body, it reaches the body's cells. Diffusion of oxygen molecules occurs from the capillaries into the interstitial fluid and then into the cells.

6. Cellular Respiration: Within the cells, oxygen is used in cellular respiration. During cellular respiration, oxygen combines with glucose (a type of sugar) to produce energy in the form of ATP (adenosine triphosphate), water, and carbon dioxide.