1. Tardigrade
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  3. Biology
  4. Assertion: Chloride shift is exchange of Cl- of plasma and HCO-3 of RBCs. Reason: Chloride shift maintains an acid base balance between the RBCs and plasma.

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Q. Assertion : Chloride shift is exchange of $Cl^-$ of plasma and $HCO^-_3$ of $RBCs$.
Reason : Chloride shift maintains an acid base balance between the $RBCs$ and plasma.

Breathing and Exchange of Gases

Solution:

Chloride shift is the movement of chloride ions $(Cl)$ into red blood cells. Carbon dioxide reacts with water to form carbonic acid in the red blood cells. The carbonic acid then dissociates into hydrogen carbonate ions $(HCO^-_3)$ and hydrogen ions $(H^+)$. The plasma membrane is relatively permeable to negative ions. Therefore, the hydrogencarbonate ions diffuse out of the cell into the plasma, leaving the hydrogen ions, which create a net positive charge; this is neutralised by the diffusion of chloride ions from the plasma into the cell.