Sauerstofftransport

Sauerstofftransport refers to the process by which oxygen is moved from the environment to the body's cells and how carbon dioxide, a waste product of cellular metabolism, is moved from the cells to the environment. This vital function is primarily carried out by the respiratory and circulatory systems.

In the lungs, oxygen from inhaled air diffuses across the thin membranes of the alveoli into the pulmonary capillaries. This oxygen then binds to hemoglobin, a protein found in red blood cells. Hemoglobin's structure allows it to efficiently pick up oxygen in areas of high oxygen concentration, such as the lungs, and release it in areas where oxygen is needed, such as active tissues. The circulatory system, driven by the heart, pumps this oxygenated blood throughout the body.

As blood circulates, oxygen is delivered to cells that require it for cellular respiration, the process that generates energy. Simultaneously, carbon dioxide, produced as a byproduct of cellular respiration, diffuses from the cells into the capillaries. A portion of this carbon dioxide binds to hemoglobin, but the majority is transported in the blood plasma as bicarbonate ions. The deoxygenated blood, now carrying carbon dioxide, returns to the lungs via the veins. In the alveoli, carbon dioxide diffuses out of the blood and is exhaled from the body. This continuous cycle ensures that the body's cells receive a constant supply of oxygen and that waste carbon dioxide is efficiently removed.