Question

Why is CO2 exchange often more important than O2 exchange ? With the most detail as possible please.

Answer 1

• CO2 exchange is more important than O2 exchange as the accumulation of the CO2 in the body that is in the organs and tissues cause the impairment in the oxygenation of the blood.
• This leads to the poor delivery of oxygen to the tissues. So in order to meet the body requirement hyperventilation occurs and this increases the work of lungs.
• The work of tissue increases and there is no delivery of oxygen that will lead to tissue death and acute respiratory failure.
• Also, the increase CO2 accumulation in the body causes respiratory acidosis as the carbonic acid is produced by mixing of CO2 with the H2O and this reduces the pH of the blood and other body fluids result in acidic conditions.
• These all lead to acute respiratory failures such as pulmonary embolism, barotrauma, pulmonary fibrosis, and other complication.
• Also, O2 exchange failure causes the inhibition of CO2 unloading from the tissue that again the O2 exchange failure causes the CO2 accumulation itself.
• Thus CO2 exchange is more important than O2 exchange.