Pulmonary Gas Exchange: How the Lungs Swap Oxygen for Carbon Dioxide
In the alveoli, two critical gas exchanges occur:
- Oxygen uptake – Inhaled O₂ diffuses from alveolar air into pulmonary capillary blood.
- Carbon dioxide release – CO₂ (metabolic waste) diffuses from capillary blood into alveoli for exhalation.
This continuous process supplies oxygen for cellular respiration and removes CO₂, maintaining acid-base balance.
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