How does oxygen get into the blood

Similarly, carbon dioxide passes from the blood into the alveoli and is then exhaled. Oxygenated blood travels from the lungs through the pulmonary veins and into the left side of the heart, which pumps the blood to the rest of the body see Function of the Heart Function of the Heart The heart and blood vessels constitute the cardiovascular circulatory system.

The heart pumps the blood to the lungs so it can pick up oxygen and then pumps oxygen-rich blood to the body Oxygen-deficient, carbon dioxide-rich blood returns to the right side of the heart through two large veins, the superior vena cava and the inferior vena cava.

Then the blood is pumped through the pulmonary artery to the lungs, where it picks up oxygen and releases carbon dioxide. The function of the respiratory system is to add oxygen to the blood and remove carbon dioxide.

The microscopically thin walls of the alveoli allow inhaled oxygen to move quickly and easily from the lungs to the red blood cells in the surrounding capillaries. At the same time, carbon dioxide moves from the blood in the capillaries into the alveoli. To support the absorption of oxygen and release of carbon dioxide, about 5 to 8 liters about 1. At the same time, a similar volume of carbon dioxide moves from the blood to the alveoli and is exhaled.

During exercise, it is possible to breathe in and out more than liters about 26 gallons of air per minute and extract 3 liters a little less than 1 gallon of oxygen from this air per minute. The rate at which oxygen is used by the body is one measure of the rate of energy expended by the body. Breathing in and out is accomplished by respiratory muscles Control of Breathing Breathing is usually automatic, controlled subconsciously by the respiratory center at the base of the brain.

Breathing continues during sleep and usually even when a person is unconscious The function of the respiratory system is to move two gases: oxygen and carbon dioxide.

Gas exchange takes place in the millions of alveoli in the lungs and the capillaries that envelop them. But, although oxygen is transported in our blood to reach each of the cells in our body, oxygen does not dissolve well in blood. So how is oxygen transported in the blood? A protein called Hb , seen on the right, is the answer to the challenge of transporting oxygen in the blood.

In this way the hemoglobin in our blood traffics oxygen to every cell in our body. Hemoglobin needs to bind to oxygen tightly in the oxygen-rich atmosphere of the lungs and to be able to release oxygen rapidly in the relatively oxygen-poor environment of the tissues. It does this in a most elegant and intricately coordinated way. The story of hemoglobin is a prototypical example of the relationship between structure and function in a protein molecule.

In the three-dimensional structure of hemoglobin to the right, you see two and two. Drag the hemoglobin structure with the mouse to rotate it. To zoom, use your scroll-wheel, or drag while holding shift. Because hemoglobin is composed of four monomers, it is called a. This next view shows the in space-fill representation, with the alpha and beta chains coloured differently. These molecules are called , and they are where oxygen binds to hemoglobin, which we will soon observe.

Do the colors of the spheres represent the true colors of the heme group? No, they do not. Remember that we are looking at a representation of the real structure, and in this case we have artificially colored each atom in the heme according to a common color scheme called the Corey-Pauling-Koltun scheme C H O N S Fe. Remember too that although we cannot change the positions of the atoms in our experimentally determined protein structure, we can freely choose different ways to show, color, and connect these atoms in order to best comprehend and convey the niceties of the complex 3D structure.

We have previously represented the atoms of the heme group as individual spheres in what is called a , but we could just as easily represent the atoms as very small spheres with thick lines connecting the bonded atoms in what is called a. Notice that the positions and identities of the atoms do not change. Hemoglobin captures oxygen and transports it through the bloodstream by binding oxygen to each of its. These are prosthetic groups; they are non-protein chemical compounds that are associated with hemoglobin and are necessary for its function.

Deoxygenated blood is carried by the veins towards the heart. It enters the right side of the heart and is pumped into the pulmonary system. Carbon dioxide diffuses into the lungs and is expelled as we exhale. The peripheral chemoreceptors — although sensitive to changes in carbon dioxide levels and pH, as well as oxygen levels — mainly monitor oxygen. The central chemoreceptors, located in the brain constitute the control centres for breathing, as they are especially sensitive to pH changes in the blood.

As carbon dioxide levels rise, blood pH falls; this is picked up by the central chemoreceptors and, through feedback mechanisms, signals are sent to alter breathing. We change our breathing to match our activity.

When we move skeletal muscles, we use energy and therefore need more sugar and oxygen. Muscles have a good blood supply, bringing oxygen and glucose and taking away carbon dioxide.

As muscles move more — for example, if we go from walking to running — the heart pumps faster increased heart rate to increase the blood supply and we breathe more quickly increased respiratory rate to get more oxygen into the blood.

The respiratory rate can be increased or decreased to suit the amount of oxygen needed. To increase the respiratory rate, effectors in the lungs are triggered to ventilate inhale and exhale faster, so carbon dioxide is removed and oxygen brought in more quickly.

At the same time, the brain sends messages to the heart to beat faster, pumping oxygenated blood to the cells more quickly. The depth of breathing can also be altered so that a larger or smaller volume of air is taken into the lungs. Respiratory rate is one of the respiratory vital signs Box 1.

To diagnose any respiratory problem, these vital signs need to be measured at rest and at work Cedar, Respiratory rate is hard to measure, because when patients are told it is going to be measured, they usually start to breathe slower or faster than normal. It may be beneficial for nurses to tell patients that they are going to measure their temperature, and then measure their respiratory rate at the same time.

Accurately measuring breathing rate and depth at rest gives a key measure of pulmonary function and oxygen flow. Changes in breathing rate and depth at rest not only tell us about physical changes in the body, but also about mental and emotional changes, as our state of mind and our feelings have an effect on our breathing.

Our respiratory vital signs not only change during the course of one day according to our activities, but also during the course of our lifetimes. Immediately after birth, the newborn has to switch from drawing oxygen from the blood to inflating its lungs and taking air into them Schroeder and Matsuda, ; Rhinesmith et al, Babies have a much faster heart rate and respiratory rate than adults: they take about 40 breaths per minute because they have smaller lungs Royal College of Nursing, Heart rate and respiratory rate slow down with advancing age, partly because the lungs become less able to expand and contract.

Becoming less elastic with age, all our muscles — not only skeletal muscle but also smooth muscle and cardiac muscle — reduces the speed at which they expand and contract Sharma and Goodwin, When we die, one of the signs of death is the cessation of breathing. Oxygen stops diffusing into the blood and, as ATP is used up and we are unable to synthesise more, we become cyanotic. In the brain, the potential difference measured in volts becomes the same inside and outside the neurons, and electrical activity stops.

The brain ceases all activity, including the involuntary activity that is needed to sustain life. Health professionals are likely to encounter patients with breathing problems in any setting. Common respiratory conditions are:. Patients who are rapidly deteriorating or critically ill must be assessed immediately, and nursing interventions can go a long way to ensure recovery Fournier, In an acute situation, one of the first interventions is to ensure the airways upper respiratory tract are clear so air can be drawn into the lungs.

ABCDE stands for:. An inability to breathe normally is extremely distressing and the more distressed a person becomes, the more likely it is that their breathing will be compromised. If one of our lungs collapses, we can manage without it, but we do need at least one functioning lung.

We have about 90 seconds worth of ATP stored in our bodies, which we constantly use, so we need to be able to get oxygen. A solid understanding of vital respiratory signs, as well as human breathing patterns Box 2 is key. Armed with such know-ledge, nurses can react quickly to acute changes, potentially saving lives and restoring health Fletcher, Tagged with: Newly qualified nurses: systems of life. Sign in or Register a new account to join the discussion. You are here: Respiratory. Every breath you take: the process of breathing explained.

Abstract Breathing uses chemical and mechanical processes to bring oxygen to every cell of the body and to get rid of carbon dioxide. This article has been double-blind peer reviewed Scroll down to read the article or download a print-friendly PDF here. Source: Peter Lamb. Box 1. Vital signs of breathing Respiratory rate RR — number of breaths taken per minute. Box 2. Key points Energy in our bodies is obtained by breaking the chemical bonds in molecules Oxygen sourced from the air is a vital ingredient in the process of energy synthesis The respiratory system is designed to facilitate gas exchange, so that cells receive oxygen and get rid of carbon dioxide Breathing changes throughout the day according to our activities In an acute situation, one of the first interventions is to check the airways are clear so air can be drawn into the lungs.

Cedar SH Homeostasis and vital signs: their role in health and its restoration. Nursing Times ; 8,