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The objectives I will be covering in this essay are the effects of disease on the function and structure of the respiratory system and relate the exchange of gases during respiration to the chemistry and physics of gases. Carbon monoxide poisoning disrupts the function of the respiratory system by affecting gas exchange and oxygen’s binding affinity to hemoglobin. Without enough supply of oxygen to our organs and tissues, they have the potential to become damaged and organs can begin to fail. Prolonged exposure to carbon monoxide can lead to death if left untreated. As carbon monoxide can be present in the atmosphere due to faulty heating systems, fires, and improper ventilation, this gas poses a significant risk to many people. Given carbon monoxide is a colorless, odorless, gas some people might not know they’ve encountered it until it’s too late.
To understand the effects of carbon monoxide on the body’s respiratory system, it’s important to mention how gas exchange works. Gas exchange is a process that occurs within the alveoli of our lungs and the blood in our capillaries (Baker, 2024). When we inhale, oxygen is picked up from our alveoli and released to our tissues through our bloodstream (OpenStax College, Section 22.4, 2022). When oxygen reaches our tissues, it’s exchanged with carbon dioxide, which is then brought back to the lungs via our bloodstream to be released when we exhale (OpenStax College, Section 22.4, 2022). The movement of carbon dioxide and oxygen between our lungs and tissues is due to partial pressure. Gases move from areas of high partial pressure to areas of low partial pressure, this is known as the Bohr-Haldane effect (OpenStax College, Section 22.4, 2022). The partial pressure of oxygen in the blood is high, but low in our tissues, therefore oxygen moves into the tissues. At the same time, the partial pressure of carbon dioxide is low in the blood but high in our tissues so when oxygen enters the tissues, carbon dioxide enters the blood (OpenStax College, Section 22.4, 2022). The opposite partial pressures occur in the alveoli where carbon dioxide moves from the blood into the alveoli and oxygen moves from the alveoli into the bloodstream.
For oxygen to be transported effectively through the bloodstream it has to rely on red blood cells and hemoglobin. Hemoglobin is a substance found in red blood cells that contains heme, the substance that oxygen binds to (OpenStax College, Section 22.5, 2022). Hemoglobin becomes saturated with oxygen molecules and transports the oxygen to the tissues where it’s dropped off and a portion of carbon dioxide can be picked up by hemoglobin (Baker, 2024). Partial pressures are important for oxygen’s affinity to hemoglobin. A higher partial pressure of oxygen causes more oxygen to be bound to hemoglobin (OpenStax College, Section 22.4, 2022).
When carbon monoxide is present in the atmosphere and enters the lungs, oxygens’ affinity to bind to hemoglobin becomes compromised. In fact, carbon monoxide has about a 200-250% greater affinity to hemoglobin than oxygen, forming carboxyhemoglobin (Wang, & Zhang, 2024). If hemoglobin picks up carbon monoxide at a greater rate than oxygen, oxygen isn’t able to be exchanged effectively throughout the body and will eventually lead to hypoxia, or low oxygen levels (Wang, & Zhang, 2024). With lower exposure levels individuals may experience headaches, dizziness, shortness of breath, confusion, and an increased heart rate (Baker, 2024). With a higher concentration of carboxyhemoglobin in the bloodstream, symptoms can become life-threatening. For example, respiratory arrest, cardiac arrest, seizures, myocardial ischemia, death, or long-term neurological problems (Baker, 2024). Carbon monoxide exposure is not to be taken lightly as it can reduce the oxygen within our body that we need to function properly. Not to mention, it causes a variety of health problems that can lead to fatality. Carbon monoxide exposure can also lead to long-term neurological damages in the prefrontal cortex, visual cortex, sensory cortex and anterior cerebellum (Yanli, 2025). Luckily, there are various oxygen treatments to increase oxygen levels in the blood. There are also carbon monoxide alarms that are especially important given the gas is odorless and colorless. Having alarms installed and awareness of possible symptoms can help to protect individuals from fatal carbon monoxide poisoning.
References
Baker, E. (2024). Carbon monoxide poisoning: assessment and actions for nurses working in service users’ homes. British Journal of Community Nursing, 29(11), 540–544. https://doi.org/10.12968/bjcn.2024.0045
OpenStax College. (2022). Anatomy & physiology 2e. OpenStax. https://openstax.org/books/anatomy-and-physiology-2e/pages/10-3-muscle-fiber-contraction-and-relaxation
Wang, T., & Zhang, Y. (2024). Mechanisms and therapeutic targets of carbon monoxide poisoning: A focus on reactive oxygen species. Chemico-Biological Interactions, 403, 111223. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cbi.2024.111223
Yanli Zhang, Tianhong Wang, Chaoning Zhou, Shuaiwen Wang, Zhaodong Liu, & Junqiang Lei. (2025). Brain functional and structural alteration following acute carbon monoxide poisoning contribute to delayed neurological sequelae. Scientific Reports, 15(1), 1–11. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-025-94787-4
Sofia covers the effects of carbon monoxide exposure on the respiratory system. They explain that carbon monoxide has a much greater affinity to hemoglobin than oxygen does, which is important to understanding how it disrupts our gas exchange in our alveoli. Gas exchange occurs by gases moving from high partial pressures to low partial pressures. Heme in the hemoglobin found in RBCs are able to bind to oxygen to transport to tissues. However since carbon monoxide has greater affinity for hemoglobin, it can cause low oxygen levels, leading to respiratory arrest, cardiac arrest, seizures, and death. Carbon monoxide poisoning is easy to occur due to its nature of being odorless and invisible. Therefore it is important to always have carbon monoxide detectors and alarms in living spaces.