alleryStart learning →What fraction of carbon dioxide travels dissolved in plasma?
AAbout 7 to 10 percent
BAbout 20 to 25 percent
CAbout 70 percent exactly
DAbout 40 to 45 percent
Answer & Solution
Correct answer: A. About 7 to 10 percent
1. Carbon dioxide is not highly soluble in blood, so only a small fraction dissolves.
2. That small fraction is about 7 to 10 percent.
3. It travels in the bloodstream and diffuses into the alveoli at the pulmonary capillaries.
4. The 70 percent figure belongs to the bicarbonate route, which is the largest of the three.
_Source: OpenStax Anatomy and Physiology (CC BY 4.0), Ch 22 "The Respiratory System", section 22.5 Transport of Gases_
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