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What is the name of the process through which gases are exchanged between the lungs and the blood?

There are a few different terms which may be used to describe the exchange of gases between the lungs and the blood. First, one might use "respiration" to describe this exchange. Respiration as a process involves much more than just the exchange of oxygen and carbon dioxide in the lung tissues, though. The beating of the heart, circulation of blood, and the expansion and deflation of lungs are all vital parts in maintaining respiration. 


The term "diffusion" describes, very specifically, how the oxygen and carbon dioxide are exchanged in the alveoli. Diffusion works by maintaining a concentration gradient-- when blood that is low in oxygen and high in carbon dioxide passes through lung tissue that is rich in oxygen but low in carbon dioxide, and exchange is made inside the alveoli.


Some people refer more generally to the exchange of carbon dioxide and oxygen quite simply as the "gas exchange."

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