What is the byproduct of cellular respiration that is removed from the blood and released through exhalation?

Cellular respiration is a metabolic process in which cells convert glucose and oxygen into energy, releasing carbon dioxide as a byproduct. During this process, oxygen is utilized by cells to generate energy, while carbon dioxide accumulates as a waste product of the metabolism. Once produced, carbon dioxide is transported in the bloodstream to the lungs, where it is exchanged for oxygen in a process known as gas exchange.

The body then expels carbon dioxide from the lungs through exhalation. This is a vital step in maintaining the body’s pH balance and ensuring that carbon dioxide levels do not rise to toxic levels within the bloodstream. The identification of carbon dioxide as the byproduct highlights its role in respiration, distinguishing it from other gases such as oxygen, which is consumed rather than released, and nitrogen, which is largely inert in biological systems and not a product of cellular respiration. Carbon monoxide is a harmful gas that can arise from incomplete combustion and is not a product of cellular respiration in the body.