AERATED BLOOD Meaning and
Definition
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Aerated blood refers to the blood that has undergone a process called oxygenation, where oxygen is added and carbon dioxide is removed. It typically occurs in the lungs during respiration.
In a healthy individual, the lungs receive deoxygenated blood from the right side of the heart through the pulmonary arteries. As this blood reaches the lungs, it passes through a network of tiny air sacs called alveoli. The alveoli are surrounded by a rich network of blood vessels called capillaries. It is in these capillaries that the exchange of gases takes place. Oxygen from the inhaled air diffuses across the thin walls of the alveoli and into the bloodstream, while carbon dioxide, a waste product of cellular respiration, diffuses from the blood into the alveoli to be expelled during exhalation.
As a result of this gas exchange process, the blood that leaves the lungs and returns to the heart via the pulmonary veins is now oxygenated, carrying a high concentration of oxygen crucial for the functioning of the body's organs and tissues. This oxygen-rich blood is bright red in color, differentiating it from deoxygenated blood which appears darker.
Overall, aerated blood signifies the essential physiological process of oxygenation, enabling the transport of oxygen throughout the body for cellular respiration and ensuring the elimination of waste carbon dioxide.
