Final answer:
Hypoventilation leads to an increase in the partial pressure of carbon dioxide in the blood due to reduced expelling of CO2.
Step-by-step explanation:
During hypoventilation (inadequate ventilation), the partial pressure of carbon dioxide increases in the blood. This happens because hyperventilation and hypoventilation are opposing physiological states. Hyperventilation involves an increased ventilation rate that leads to abnormally low blood carbon dioxide levels and a higher (more alkaline) blood pH, whereas hypoventilation results in reduced ventilation rate, which can lead to hypercapnia, or elevated blood levels of CO2. The normal mechanism of the body carries CO2 from the tissues, where its partial pressure is high, through the blood and back to the lungs. In the lungs, the CO2 diffuses into the alveoli to be exhaled. However, when ventilation is inadequate, CO2 is not expelled efficiently, causing an increase in its partial pressure in the blood.