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  4. Assertion: At the tissue level, 70 percent of CO2 formed from catabolism is trapped as bicarbonate in the RBCs. Reason: At tissue level, carbonic anhydrase in RBCs facilitates the formation of CO2 and H2O from bicarbonate.

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Q. Assertion : At the tissue level, $70$ percent of $CO_2$ formed from catabolism is trapped as bicarbonate in the RBCs.
Reason : At tissue level, carbonic anhydrase in $RBCs$ facilitates the formation of $CO_2$ and $H_2O$ from bicarbonate.

Breathing and Exchange of Gases

Solution:

$RBCs$ contain a very high concentration of carbonic anhydrase enzyme which facilitates the following reaction in both directions.
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At the tissue site where partial pressure of $CO_2$ is high due to catabolism, $CO_2$ diffuses into blood ($RBCs$ and plasma) and forms $HCO_3$ and $H^+$. At the alveolar site where $PCO_2$ is low, the reaction proceeds in the opposite direction leading to the formation of $CO_2$ and $H_2O$.