Answer to Question #307990 in Human Anatomy and Physiology for Juniper

Question

Carbon dioxide is produced within cells during ATP production. Briefly state why carbon dioxide must be removed from tissues. Trace the pathway of carbon dioxide from within a cell (such as a muscle cell) into the alveoli for exhalation.

Answer 1

Carbon dioxide is a product of a cellular metabolism of ATP. Carbon dioxide is a waste product and must be removed from our body because it becomes a toxic when left in the body, which might harm the body.

The path followed by carbon dioxide from the tissues is that it enters the blood dissolving in the plasma, and most of it into the red blood cells. It binds with hemoglobin to form carbaminohemoglobin while most of it is also converted into bircarbonate. Carbonic anhydrase converts carbon dioxide and water into bicarbonate and hydrogen ions. Bicarbonate is transported into the lungs where bicarbonate is reconverted into carbon dioxide and exhaled. Carbon dioxide diffuses out of the bloodstream through the capillaries into the alveoli and expelled.