The fetal lungs are collapsed, and blood passes from the right atrium directly into the left atrium through the foramen ovale: an open conduit between the paired atria, or through the ductus arteriosus: a shunt between the pulmonary artery and the aorta.
By Deborah Leader, RN. Updated January 21, 2016. Hypercapnia is a condition that occurs when there is too much carbon dioxide in the blood. While it is sometimes caused by things such as hypoventilation or a narcotic drug overdose, a much more common cause is COPD. If you have COPD, it's important to know the hypercapnia symptoms, as well as the treatments available.
Why would the chemical composition of the blood affect heart rate? Blood chemistry is determined, to a large extent, by the concentrations of gases in the blood. High carbon dioxide concentrations and low oxygen concentrations both indicate that gas exchange is occurring at a slower than ideal rate.The low rate of gas exchange could be due to rapid metabolism or to a low concentration of oxygen in the external environment.By monitoring blood chemistry the body is able to increase the heart rate and the rate of gas exchange to compensate.igh carbon dioxide concentrations and low oxygen concentrations both indicate that gas exchange is occurring at a slower than ideal rate. The low rate of gas exchange could be due to rapid metabolism or to a low concentration of oxygen in the external environment.