Red Blood Cells Lab Report

Both oxygen and carbon dioxide are transported around the body in the blood through arteries, veins and capillaries. They bind to haemoglobin in red blood cells, although oxygen does so more effectively. Carbon dioxide also dissolves in the plasma or combines with water to form bicarbonate ions (HCO−3). This reaction is catalysed by the carbonic anhydrase enzyme in red blood cells.
The main respiratory surface in humans is the alveoli, which are small air sacs branching off from the bronchioles in the lungs. They are one cell thick and provide a moist and extremely large surface area for gas exchange to occur. Capillaries carrying deoxygenated blood from the pulmonary artery run across the alveoli. They are also extremely thin, so the total