Biology AS CIE
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1-cell-structure10 主题
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1-2-cells-as-the-basic-units-of-living-organisms AS viruses
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1-2-cells-as-the-basic-units-of-living-organisms AS prokaryotic-v-eukaryotic-cells
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1-2-cells-as-the-basic-units-of-living-organisms AS the-vital-role-of-atp
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1-2-cells-as-the-basic-units-of-living-organisms AS animal-and-plant-cells
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1-2-cells-as-the-basic-units-of-living-organisms AS eukaryotic-cell-structures-and-functions
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1-1-the-microscope-in-cell-studies AS calculating-actual-size
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1-1-the-microscope-in-cell-studies AS resolution-and-magnification
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1-1-the-microscope-in-cell-studies AS eyepiece-graticules-and-stage-micrometers
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1-1-the-microscope-in-cell-studies AS magnification-calculations
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1-1-the-microscope-in-cell-studies AS the-microscope-in-cell-studies
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1-2-cells-as-the-basic-units-of-living-organisms AS viruses
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2-biological-molecules19 主题
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2-4-water AS water-and-the-hydrogen-bond
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2-4-water AS the-role-of-water-in-living-organisms
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2-3-proteins AS collagen
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2-3-proteins AS haemoglobin
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2-3-proteins AS globular-and-fibrous-proteins
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2-3-proteins AS protein-shape
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2-3-proteins AS the-four-levels-of-protein-structure
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2-3-proteins AS amino-acids-and-the-peptide-bond
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2-2-carbohydrates-and-lipids AS phospholipids
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2-2-carbohydrates-and-lipids AS triglycerides
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2-2-carbohydrates-and-lipids AS cellulose
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2-2-carbohydrates-and-lipids AS starch-and-glycogen
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2-2-carbohydrates-and-lipids AS the-glycosidic-bond
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2-2-carbohydrates-and-lipids AS reducing-and-non-reducing-sugars
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2-2-carbohydrates-and-lipids AS covalent-bonds-in-polymers
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2-2-carbohydrates-and-lipids AS biological-molecules-key-terms
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2-1-testing-for-biological-molecules AS testing-for-non-reducing-sugars
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2-1-testing-for-biological-molecules AS the-benedicts-test
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2-1-testing-for-biological-molecules AS biological-molecule-tests
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2-4-water AS water-and-the-hydrogen-bond
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3-enzymes13 主题
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3-2-factors-that-affect-enzyme-action AS enzyme-activity-immobilised-v-free
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3-2-factors-that-affect-enzyme-action AS enzyme-inhibitors
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3-2-factors-that-affect-enzyme-action AS vmax-and-the-michaelis-menten-constant
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3-2-factors-that-affect-enzyme-action AS rate-inhibitor-concentration
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3-2-factors-that-affect-enzyme-action AS rate-substrate-concentration
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3-2-factors-that-affect-enzyme-action AS rate-enzyme-concentration
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3-2-factors-that-affect-enzyme-action AS rate-ph
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3-2-factors-that-affect-enzyme-action AS rate-temperature
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3-1-mode-of-action-of-enzymes AS colorimetry
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3-1-mode-of-action-of-enzymes AS measuring-enzyme-activity
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3-1-mode-of-action-of-enzymes AS how-enzymes-work
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3-1-mode-of-action-of-enzymes AS enzyme-action
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3-1-mode-of-action-of-enzymes AS enzymes
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3-2-factors-that-affect-enzyme-action AS enzyme-activity-immobilised-v-free
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4-cell-membranes-and-transport16 主题
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4-2-movement-into-and-out-of-cells AS comparing-osmosis-in-plants-and-animals
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4-2-movement-into-and-out-of-cells AS osmosis-in-animals
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4-2-movement-into-and-out-of-cells AS osmosis-in-plant-cells
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4-2-movement-into-and-out-of-cells AS estimating-water-potential-in-plants
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4-2-movement-into-and-out-of-cells AS investigating-surface-area
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4-2-movement-into-and-out-of-cells AS surface-area-to-volume-ratios
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4-2-movement-into-and-out-of-cells AS investigating-diffusion
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4-2-movement-into-and-out-of-cells AS investigating-transport-processes-in-plants
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4-2-movement-into-and-out-of-cells AS endocytosis-and-exocytosis
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4-2-movement-into-and-out-of-cells AS active-transport
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4-2-movement-into-and-out-of-cells AS osmosis
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4-2-movement-into-and-out-of-cells AS diffusion
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4-1-fluid-mosaic-membranes AS cell-signalling
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4-1-fluid-mosaic-membranes AS the-cell-surface-membrane
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4-1-fluid-mosaic-membranes AS components-of-cell-surface-membranes
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4-1-fluid-mosaic-membranes AS the-fluid-mosaic-model
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4-2-movement-into-and-out-of-cells AS comparing-osmosis-in-plants-and-animals
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5-the-mitotic-cell-cycle8 主题
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5-2-chromosome-behaviour-in-mitosis AS observing-mitosis
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5-2-chromosome-behaviour-in-mitosis AS the-stages-of-mitosis
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5-1-replication-and-division-of-nuclei-and-cells AS how-tumours-form
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5-1-replication-and-division-of-nuclei-and-cells AS the-role-of-stem-cells
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5-1-replication-and-division-of-nuclei-and-cells AS the-role-of-telomeres-
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5-1-replication-and-division-of-nuclei-and-cells AS the-cell-cycle
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5-1-replication-and-division-of-nuclei-and-cells AS mitosis
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5-1-replication-and-division-of-nuclei-and-cells AS chromosome-structure
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5-2-chromosome-behaviour-in-mitosis AS observing-mitosis
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6-nucleic-acids-and-protein-synthesis9 主题
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6-2-protein-synthesis AS gene-mutations
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6-2-protein-synthesis AS transcription
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6-2-protein-synthesis AS constructing-polypeptides
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6-2-protein-synthesis AS the-universal-genetic-code
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6-2-protein-synthesis AS from-gene-to-polypeptide
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6-1-structure-of-nucleic-acids-and-replication-of-dna AS the-structure-of-rna
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6-1-structure-of-nucleic-acids-and-replication-of-dna AS semi-conservative-dna-replication
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6-1-structure-of-nucleic-acids-and-replication-of-dna AS the-structure-of-dna
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6-1-structure-of-nucleic-acids-and-replication-of-dna AS nucleotides
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6-2-protein-synthesis AS gene-mutations
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7-transport-in-plants11 主题
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7-2-transport-mechanisms AS phloem-mass-flow
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7-2-transport-mechanisms AS the-sucrose-loading-mechanism
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7-2-transport-mechanisms AS movement-in-the-phloem
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7-2-transport-mechanisms AS xerophytic-plant-leaf-adaptations
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7-2-transport-mechanisms AS water-and-the-transpiration-pull
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7-2-transport-mechanisms AS transpiration-in-plants
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7-2-transport-mechanisms AS water-and-mineral-ion-transport-in-plants
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7-1-structure-of-transport-tissues AS phloem-sieve-tube-elements
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7-1-structure-of-transport-tissues AS xylem-vessels-elements
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7-1-structure-of-transport-tissues AS xylem-and-phloem-distribution
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7-1-structure-of-transport-tissues AS plant-transverse-sections
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7-2-transport-mechanisms AS phloem-mass-flow
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8-transport-in-mammals16 主题
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8-3-the-heart AS heart-action
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8-3-the-heart AS the-cardiac-cycle
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8-3-the-heart AS the-walls-of-the-heart
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8-3-the-heart AS structure-of-the-heart
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8-2-transport-of-oxygen-and-carbon-dioxide AS the-bohr-shift
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8-2-transport-of-oxygen-and-carbon-dioxide AS the-oxygen-dissociation-curve
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8-2-transport-of-oxygen-and-carbon-dioxide AS plasma-and-carbon-dioxide
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8-2-transport-of-oxygen-and-carbon-dioxide AS the-chloride-shift
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8-2-transport-of-oxygen-and-carbon-dioxide AS red-blood-cells-haemoglobin-and-oxygen
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8-1-the-circulatory-system AS blood-tissue-fluid-and-lymph
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8-1-the-circulatory-system AS the-role-of-water-in-circulation
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8-1-the-circulatory-system AS cells-of-the-blood
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8-1-the-circulatory-system AS blood-vessels-structures-and-functions
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8-1-the-circulatory-system AS observing-and-drawing-blood-vessels
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8-1-the-circulatory-system AS the-main-blood-vessels
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8-1-the-circulatory-system AS circulatory-systems
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8-3-the-heart AS heart-action
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9-gas-exchange6 主题
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9-1-the-gas-exchange-system AS gas-exchange-processes
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9-1-the-gas-exchange-system AS structures-and-functions-of-the-gas-exchange-system
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9-1-the-gas-exchange-system AS recognising-structures
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9-1-the-gas-exchange-system AS recognising-tissues
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9-1-the-gas-exchange-system AS distribution-of-tissues
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9-1-the-gas-exchange-system AS the-human-gas-exchange-system
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9-1-the-gas-exchange-system AS gas-exchange-processes
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10-infectious-diseases6 主题
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11-immunity10 主题
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11-2-antibodies-and-vaccination AS vaccination-to-control-disease
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11-2-antibodies-and-vaccination AS how-vaccines-work
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11-2-antibodies-and-vaccination AS types-of-immunity
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11-2-antibodies-and-vaccination AS uses-of-monoclonal-antibodies
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11-2-antibodies-and-vaccination AS making-monoclonal-antibodies
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11-2-antibodies-and-vaccination AS antibodies
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11-1-the-immune-system AS memory-cells-and-immunity
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11-1-the-immune-system AS primary-immune-response
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11-1-the-immune-system AS antigens
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11-1-the-immune-system AS phagocytes
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11-2-antibodies-and-vaccination AS vaccination-to-control-disease
9-1-the-gas-exchange-system AS gas-exchange-processes
Exam code:9700
Gas exchange processes
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The exchange of oxygen and carbon dioxide occurs between the alveoli and the capillaries in the lungs
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Oxygen and carbon dioxide are exchanged in a process of simple diffusion
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This is a passive movement from high to low concentration
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The air in the alveoli contains a high concentration of oxygen
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The oxygen diffuses from the alveoli and into the blood capillaries, before being carried away to the rest of the body for aerobic respiration
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The blood in the capillaries has a relatively low concentration of oxygen and a high concentration of carbon dioxide
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The carbon dioxide diffuses from the blood and into the alveoli and is then exhaled
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Feature of alveoli |
Importance |
|---|---|
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Large surface area |
The average human adult has around 480-500 million alveoli in their lungs This equals a surface area of 40-75m2 This enormous surface area increases the space available for oxygen and carbon dioxide to diffuse |
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Thin walls |
The walls of the alveoli are only one cell thick This means that gases have a very short diffusion distance and so gas exchange is as quick and efficient as possible |
Examiner Tips and Tricks
Remember that blood arriving to the lungs in capillaries is deoxygenated, while blood leaving the capillaries is oxygenated and returns to the left side of the heart.
You don’t need to know how many alveoli there are for your exam, or their total surface area—these are only included here to show you just how large a surface area they have in total!
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