The Respiratory System

Figure 18-1: Overview of oxygen and exchange and Transport CO2

Copyright 2004 Pearson Education, Inc., publishing as Benjamin Cummings

Carbon dioxide diffuses into RBCs and combines with water to form carbonic acid (H2CO3), which quickly dissociates into hydrogen ions and bicarbonate ions

In RBCs, carbonic anhydrase reversibly catalyzes the conversion of carbon dioxide and water to carbonic acidCO2+H2OH2CO3H++HCO3Carbon dioxideWaterCarbonic acidHydrogen ionBicarbonate ionFigure 22.22a

Figure 22.22b