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Blood flows through your capillaries in small sacks called Alveoli where it releases Carbon Dioxide and picks up Oxygen.
When blood flows through the lungs (Which is called the lesser or pulmonary circulation), it has got very low systolic blood pressure. (Systolic blood pressure in the pulmonary aorta is only about 20 mm of Mercury as opposed to 120 mm in the systemic Aorta). When the blood reaches the pulmonary capillaries, it drops to about 15 mm of mercury. The Oncotic pressure in the capillaries is about 20 mm of mercury, so fluid does not leak out of the capillaries, but just flows through them. (In contrast to systemic circulation, where it leaks out in large quantity, about 11 liters, into the interstitial space.)


In the pulmonary circulation, the blood contains large quantity of Carbon bi oxide. Which is generated in tissue during oxidation of food used by cells. Which needs to be exchanged with Oxygen present in the alveoli of lungs. (About 20% in air.) It has got only few milliseconds to achieve this. Capillaries are made up of single flat cells only and Lung alveoli are also made up of single flat cells only. So both Oxygen and Carbon bi oxide has to cross very thin layer. But blood and air do not come in contact with each other.Number of alveoli is very large. (It comes to be 167772160.) Which provides a large surface area for the exchange of gases.(About 100 square meters or 1100 square feet.) The blood from pulmonary capillaries give up Carbon bi oxide which enters alveoli from lungs and Oxygen is taken up by blood from pulmonary capillaries from lungs,because of the large difference in concentration of both of them.(Oxygen is much more in air of alveoli and Carbon bi oxide much more in pulmonary cappilaries.) So both Oxygen and Carbon bi oxide travel from high concentration to low concentration. So exchange of gasses occurs due to the DIFFERENCE in concentration and the reverse occurs in the Systemic circulation, where Oxygen leaves the capillaries to enter the body tissues and Carbon bi oxide enters the blood to leave body tissue.(There Oxygen is consumed in Oxidation process to form Carbon bi oxide and Energy is liberated. Which is used for metabolic activities.)

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11y ago
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15y ago

Oxygen from the lung is sent into red blood cells and transported throughout the body.

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Q: What happens when blood flows through the lungs?
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What is the flow of blood to and from the lunges?

Blood flows from the right ventricle of the heart into the lungs through the pulmonary arteries that carry deoxygenated blood. From the lungs, oxygenated blood flows through the pulmonary veins to the left atrium of the heart.


What happens to Carbon dioxide in the blood that flows in the alveoli?

it filters your lungs which causes you to exhale


How does the circulatory system help your cells get rid of carbon dioxide?

The blood flowing through the veins carry the carbon dioxide from the cells of all parts of the body to the heart. Hence we say that the veins transmit the De-oxygenated blood from all parts of the body to the heart. The De-oxygenated blood collected in the heart flows to the lungs through the pulmonary artery. The blood gets oxygenated in the lungs. Then the oxygenated blood flows to the heart through the pulmonary vein. Then the oxygenated blood flows to all parts of the body through the arteries. So blood flows into the heart through the veins, and flows out of the heart through the arteries. Normally the De-oxygenated blood flows through the veins and the oxygenated blood flows through the artery. The only exceptions are the pulmonary artery that transmits de-oxygenated blood from heart to the lungs and the pulmonary vein that transmits oxygenated blood from lungs to heart. This is because blood flows into the heart by veins and flows out of the heart by arteries.


In pulmonary circulation blood flows through two organs?

Heart and Lungs


In pulmonary circulation blood flows through which two organs?

heart and lungs


Where does the blood that flows from the pulmonary arteries lead to?

The pulmonary arteries carry blood from the heart to the lungs.


What happens to carbon dioxide in the blood that flows threw alveoli?

it filters your lungs which causes you to exhale


Use Artery in a sentence?

artery is part of the lungs


The blood takes oxygen in the lungs and flows to where?

After taking oxygen from the lungs the blood travels to the left atrium of the heart. From here the blood is pumped to the left ventricle. The left ventricle then pumps the oxygenated blood into the aorta through which it flows to the rest of the body.


Where does blood from he right ventricle go?

It flows through the pulmonary artery and towards the lungs where the blood will become oxygenated.


What are the 4 chambers in the human body that the blood flows through?

heart lungs liver arteries


After the blood leaves the lungs where does it enter the heart?

It flows through the pulmonary vein toward the heart.