The chloride shift
A) maintains the ionic balance between the red blood cells and the plasma.
B) inflates alveoli while decreasing oxygen delivery to tissues.
C) replaces carbonic anhydrase.
D) regulates the amount of salt in the large intestine compared to the small intestine.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The chloride shift, also known as the Hamburger shift, is a physiological process that maintains the ionic balance between the red blood cells and the plasma during gas exchange in the lungs. When CO2 produced in the tissues enters the bloodstream, it reacts with water to form bicarbonate ions and hydrogen ions. The hydrogen ions bind to hemoglobin in red blood cells, and the bicarbonate ions diffuse out of the red blood cells into the plasma, resulting in a net loss of negative ions inside the red blood cells. To maintain electrical neutrality, chloride ions from the plasma diffuse into the red blood cells, which balances the loss of negatively charged ions and maintains the ionic equilibrium.

The Chloride Shift