Brief information about

Carbon Dioxide

Carbon dioxide (Co2) is a colourless gas composed of one carbon atom and 2 oxygen atoms. It is about 1.5 times as dense as air.

Carbon dioxide is present in our body from 3 main sources:

– The food we eat

– The air we breathe in

– Chemical reactions in our body (Example, if we run a lot, our muscles release a little bit of carbon dioxide)

The amount of carbon dioxide in your blood influences your breathing rate. Our blood needs a well balanced level of oxygen and carbon dioxide. If this balance is put out, your breathing rate is affected (If the level of carbon dioxide in your blood increases, your breathing rate will increase so that oxygen will be inhaled and carbon dioxide can be exhaled from your lungs and passed out of your body).

Brief information about

Carbon Dioxide

Bloodstream (with carbon dioxide)

OesophagusLungs

Heart

Mouth

Vein

Carbon dioxide enters our body via various means. The blood (including carbon dioxide) travels through our veins to the right side of the heart.

Step 1

Vein

Erythrocytes(Red Blood Cell)

Leukocytes(White Blood Cell)

C

C

Carbon Dioxide (CO²)

C

Step 2

Entering through the left side, the heart pumps the blood to the lungs where it is oxygenated.

Erythrocytes(Red Blood Cell)

Leukocytes(White Blood Cell)

Carbon Dioxide (Co2)

Lungs

Heart

Step 3

The Lungs now separate the Carbon dioxide from the bloodstream. The Carbon dioxide is now in a gaseous state.

Erythrocytes(Red Blood Cell)

Leukocytes(White Blood Cell)

Carbon Dioxide (Co2)

Lungs

Heart

Step 4

The Carbon dioxide goes from the lungs, up through the Oesophagus.

Oesophagus

Lungs

Heart

Step 5

And lastly the carbon dioxide is breathed out the mouth! (This happens when we exhale)

Oesophagus

Mouth

And that is the path of Carbon dioxide in the bloodstream to the mouth!

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Bibliography

• http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carbon_dioxide

• http://encyclopedia.kids.net.au/page/ca/Carbon_dioxide

• http://www.windows2universe.org/earth/Water/co2_cycle.html

• http://www.realtrees4kids.org/sixeight/cycles.htm

• Science Quest 2, Third Edition, G. Lofts, M. Evergreen 2006

• http://www.google.com.au/imgres?q=human+heart+outline