– If humans breathe in oxygen and exhale CO2, then why does mouth-to-mouth resuscitation work?

Question

– If humans breathe in oxygen and exhale CO2, then why does mouth-to-mouth resuscitation work?

In: 172

Answer 1

Human lungs are really inefficient in their design. As we breathe out we have only used less than half of the available Ox in air. Birds with their much higher metabolism have air sacks and lungs and when they breathe the air flows _through_ the lungs in and out the air sacks. Rebreather diving equipment uses the residual Ox in exhalation to give longer diving times from same amount of Ox compared to trad. Scuba gear, of course the rebreather needs scrub the CO2.