What happens to blood ph levels during rebreathing? Why

Question

What happens to blood ph levels during rebreathing? Why

Answer 1

If you hold your breath, your blood gets less basic because carbon dioxide builds up in your bloodstream, forming carbonic acid. When you breathe, carbon dioxide leaves your bloodstream and is exhaled out. So, your blood becomes more basic, meaning pH goes up.

Answer 2

Well nobody answered your question properly so I decided to help you out :)....you need a concentration gradient of carbon dioxide and oxygen between your blood and the air you breathe in to maintain the level of carbon dioxide and oxygen at appropriate normal physiological levels. When you rebreathe the air you exhale (which contains more carbon dioxide and less oxygen) this concetration gradient is disturbed and the concentration of gases reaches a new equilibrium due to changes in the rate of diffusion. Eventually the level of carbon dioxide in the blood increases and the level of oxygen decreases. This is because the CO2 cannot diffuse out of the blood into the lung as easily because of the high concetration in the air your rebreathing. Because you are using up oxygen in the rebreathed air, there is also not as much entering the blood.

Now theres a little chemical reaction which turns CO2 and water into an acid called carbonic acid. Acids release protons which makes things acidic. More CO2  means more carbonic acid which means more protons are released and so the blood becomes more acidic. Also due to hypoxia (low oxygen) the body cannot burn carbs as well and produces a byproduct called lactic acid, another acid which contributes more protons.

As a whole this means the blood becomes more acidic and so the pH decreases (the lower the pH the more acidic)

Hope this helps!!

Any questions please feel free to ask me

Answer 3

when you hyperventalate, it is because your CO2 levels in your body are too high, causeing your pH to become low, or acidic.  The hyperventalating is trying to expel or get rid of the excess CO2 in your body,.