Mon Prof Augmenté
Smoke reaches the air sacs
Inhaled smoke travels down the airways to tiny air sacs in the lungs. There, carbon monoxide slips into the blood and takes the place on red blood cells where oxygen normally attaches.
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Age 14: open this week
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In the picture
- Gray smoke particles inside an air sac
- Thin air sac wall where gases pass into the blood
- Carbon monoxide molecule attached to a red blood cell
- Oxygen molecule left outside the capillary
Examples
- Cigarette smoke breathed into the lungs
- A car engine releasing carbon monoxide in exhaust
Key takeaways
- Carbon monoxide binds to red blood cells much more strongly than oxygen does.
- Less oxygen carried by the blood can starve organs and tissues of oxygen.
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