how does the respiratory system exchanges carbon dioxide and oxygen in the lungs?
Gas Exchange Between Alveolar Spaces and Capillaries. The function of the respiratory system is to exchange two gases: oxygen and carbon dioxide. The exchange takes place in the millions of alveoli in the lungs and the capillaries that envelop them. As shown below, inhaled oxygen moves from the alveoli to the blood in the capillaries, and carbon dioxide moves from the blood in the capillaries to the air in the alveoli.