Does the carbon dioxide travels into capillaries alveolar and out of at tissue?
Yes, carbon dioxide (CO2) travels into capillaries at the alveolar level and out of capillaries at the tissue level. Here is the detailed process of CO2 transport in the respiratory system:
1. Alveolar Capillaries:
- Deoxygenated blood from the body enters the lungs through the pulmonary arteries.
- Inside the lungs, the pulmonary capillaries surround the alveoli, which are tiny air sacs where gas exchange occurs.
- CO2, a waste product of cellular respiration, diffuses from the capillaries into the alveoli due to the concentration gradient.
2. Exhalation:
- The CO2-rich air in the alveoli is expelled from the lungs during exhalation.
3. Tissue Capillaries:
- Oxygenated blood from the lungs returns to the body through the pulmonary veins and is pumped to various tissues by the heart.
- In the capillaries at the tissue level, the concentration of CO2 is higher than in the surrounding tissue cells.
- Therefore, CO2 diffuses out of the capillaries and into the tissue cells.
4. Cellular Respiration:
- The CO2 that diffuses into the tissue cells is a product of cellular respiration, which is the process by which cells convert glucose into energy.
- The CO2 is transported by the bloodstream back to the lungs to be exhaled.
This continuous cycle of CO2 transport ensures that the body gets rid of waste carbon dioxide and maintains a proper balance of gases in the blood.