Final answer:
The blood in the lungs gets rid of carbon dioxide and picks up oxygen. The exchange occurs in the pulmonary capillaries near the alveoli, allowing for oxygenation of the blood and the removal of carbon dioxide. This is crucial for systemic circulation, which nourishes body tissues with oxygenated blood.
Step-by-step explanation:
In the lungs, the blood gets rid of carbon dioxide and picks up a fresh supply of oxygen. This process is known as external respiration, where at the pulmonary capillaries, deoxygenated blood which carries waste gases including carbon dioxide from the body tissues, releases the carbon dioxide into the alveoli to be exhaled out of the body. Subsequently, the blood picks up oxygen from the alveoli; this oxygen has been inhaled into the lungs from the outside air. The now-reoxygenated blood carries this oxygen back to the heart, which then pumps it throughout the body to be used for cellular respiration.In the lungs, the blood gets rid of carbon dioxide and picks up a fresh supply of oxygen.
Circulation in the body involves two main loops: the systemic circulation, providing oxygen and nutrients to the tissues, and the pulmonary circulation, where the exchange of gases occurs in the lungs. Here, red blood cells important for transporting oxygen bind with oxygen via hemoglobin, and the blood turns bright red indicating it is oxygenated and ready to be transported back to the heart and then to the rest of the body.