what gases are added to inhaled air and then exhaled?

CO2 (carbon dioxide) is a major exhaled product of respiration. Other exhaled gases (in much smaller amounts) are NO, methyl nitrate and volatile organic carbons (VOCs).

The gases that are added to inhaled air and then exhaled are primarily oxygen (O2) and carbon dioxide (CO2), along with other trace gases such as nitrogen (N2), water vapor (H2O), and small amounts of argon (Ar) and various other gases.

To understand this process in more detail, we need to look at the respiratory system. When you inhale, air enters through your nose or mouth, travels down the windpipe (trachea), and then enters the lungs through branching tubes called bronchi. These bronchi further divide into smaller tubes called bronchioles, which eventually end in tiny air sacs called alveoli.

In the alveoli, the gas exchange takes place. Oxygen from the inhaled air diffuses across the thin walls of the alveoli, into the surrounding blood vessels called capillaries. This oxygen then binds to hemoglobin in red blood cells and is carried throughout the body to provide oxygen supply to various organs and tissues. This is how oxygen is added to the inhaled air.

On the other hand, carbon dioxide, which is a waste product produced by cells during their metabolic processes, diffuses out of the capillaries and into the alveoli. From there, it is exhaled when you breathe out. This process helps remove carbon dioxide from the body.

Overall, the respiratory system works to bring in oxygen-rich air and remove carbon dioxide, maintaining a balance of gases necessary for bodily functions.