3 Breathing delivers oxygen to tissues and removes carbon di

3. Breathing delivers oxygen to tissues and removes carbon dioxide. The percentage of oxygen in air is 21%, much higher that the percentage of carbon dioxide (0.03%) Carbon dioxide in blood comes from the breakdown of carbohydrates and fats. Carbon dioxide gas dissolves in water to make carbonic acid (enzymes help, but that’s another story). A percentage of the carbonic acid then dissociates to bicarbonate and hydrogen ion. Mammals are much more sensitive to changes in the amount of carbon dioxide in the blood than they are to the amount of oxygen in the blood. For the following statements fill in the word increase or decrease for each blank.

A) When carbon dioxide increases, the concentration of H+ will________________, therefore the blood pH will __________________.

B) If you hyperventilate (breathe at a rapid rate), the CO2 amount in blood decreases thus the pH of your blood will ________________

C) Why is it recommended that someone who is hyperventilating breathe into a paper bag? Explain exactly how that would affect H+ levels and how that in turn affects blood pH?

Solution

A) when the concentration of CO2 increases more carbonic acid is formed hence more carbonic acid breaks down to give H(+)) ions hence it increases.. As H(+) increases pH will decrease.....

B) if we hyperventilate as more CO2 gets removed hydrogen ions gets decreased hence pH increases..