• Best of luck to the class of 2024 for their HSC exams. You got this!
    Let us know your thoughts on the HSC exams here
  • YOU can help the next generation of students in the community!
    Share your trial papers and notes on our Notes & Resources page
MedVision ad

A few questions (1 Viewer)

dalmacijo

New Member
Joined
Nov 30, 2008
Messages
5
Gender
Male
HSC
2009
I have one question to ask. I'm sorry if it has been asked before. I'm also sorry if it is a dumb question but I dont know the answer lol.

Explain why the removal of carbon dioxide from living cells is important?

Thanks...I might have more questions later :D
 

chadmeleon

Member
Joined
Aug 21, 2007
Messages
43
Gender
Female
HSC
2009
1. takes up space (dont know if that is significant)
2. More importantly, if it builds up could (i.e. in blood) change the pH, which would inhibit the function of enzymes essential for cellular function

I think that the reasons...anyhow thats what im saying
 

jeff.wong

Member
Joined
Oct 27, 2008
Messages
177
Gender
Male
HSC
2008
Carbon dioxide is produced as a result of respiration. When it dissolves it forms carbonic acid. In body fluid, including the blood, the presence of acid lowers the pH. [A first hand investigation should be performed] To maintain a normal pH balance carbon dioxide must be removed quickly.

Too much carbon dioxide causes the rate and depth of breathing to increase. Low levels of carbon dioxide lead to a slowing of the rate and depth of breathing.
 

supanerd

New Member
Joined
Nov 20, 2007
Messages
20
Location
Townsville
Gender
Female
HSC
2008
As everyone else has said above, Carbon Dioxide is a waste product is is toxic to your body due to it's combination with water to create HCO3- which causes the blood to become acidic. As you learnt from the earlier dotpoints, change of pH causes the enzymes to slow down or denature in their function, thus killing the organism. Thus, it is necessary to remove carbon dioxide.

Carbon dioxide also slows your breathing rate, so it is needed to remove this.

As earch haeme group in a redblood cell holds 4 O or 4 CO2 at a time, removal of CO2 is necessary for gas exchange with the intake of oxygen.
 

Sif_Tim

New Member
Joined
Mar 8, 2009
Messages
5
Gender
Male
HSC
2009
I never knew Haemoglobin carried Carbon dioxide.. ??
 

jet

Banned
Joined
Jan 4, 2007
Messages
3,148
Gender
Male
HSC
2009
Additionally, a lowered pH in the blood, changes the shape of the haemoglobin, making it less likely to carry 4 oxygen molecules, inhibiting the blood's full potential of supplying a large amount of oxygen to the cells.
 

GUSSSSSSSSSSSSS

Active Member
Joined
Aug 20, 2008
Messages
1,102
Location
Turra
Gender
Male
HSC
2009
HMMMMMMMMM a lot of you are saying that carbon dioxide lowers pH of blood

this is true

however IT DOESNT ANSWER THE QUESTION!!!!! most of the answer will be marked WRONG in an exam (dat wat happened to most kids in my half yearlies we had that EXACT question lol)


it want to know why it removed from living cells, not from the body


so it more suitable to say that it lower the pH of the CYTOPLASM, by dissolving in it to form carbonic acid, rather than in the blood


and also takes up space as a waste product, not allowing for nutrients such as oxygen to move into the cell


!!!!
 

Amuneh

New Member
Joined
Apr 6, 2009
Messages
2
Gender
Female
HSC
2010
all living things recquire oxygen for respiration
as a result of respiration c02 is produced when carbon dioxide dissolves in water it makes carbonic acid
this means that if alot of carbon dioxide is produced the body cells and d blood and lymph will become acidic
as studied b4 enzymes can only function within a specific range
so an increase in carbon dioxide will result in lowering of ph and interfere with thhe enzyme functioning and therefore will affect the overall metabolism of the body.
 

black_kat_meow

hihiwhywhy
Joined
Jun 20, 2005
Messages
1,726
Location
Sydney, for now
Gender
Female
HSC
2008
HMMMMMMMMM a lot of you are saying that carbon dioxide lowers pH of blood

this is true

however IT DOESNT ANSWER THE QUESTION!!!!! most of the answer will be marked WRONG in an exam (dat wat happened to most kids in my half yearlies we had that EXACT question lol)


it want to know why it removed from living cells, not from the body


so it more suitable to say that it lower the pH of the CYTOPLASM, by dissolving in it to form carbonic acid, rather than in the blood


and also takes up space as a waste product, not allowing for nutrients such as oxygen to move into the cell


!!!!
You didn't completely answer it there either, just said what it does, not why that's significant.

You have to ALWAYS relate it back to its effect on metabolic functioning. Well, you might sometimes get away with it, depends on how many marks the question is worth... Jeff Wong's answer is good, but I would also specify exactly why this build up of carbonic acid and thus lowering of pH must be countered.
 

Users Who Are Viewing This Thread (Users: 0, Guests: 1)

Top