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.
The effect of carbon dioxide in the blood. Haemoglobin can also bind carbon dioxide, but to a lesser extent. Carbaminohaemoglobin forms. Some carbon dioxide is carried in this form to the lungs from respiring tissues. The presence of carbon dioxide helps the release of oxygen from haemoglobin, this is known as the Bohr effect. This can be seen by comparing the oxygen dissociation curves when there is less carbon dioxide present and when there is more carbon dioxide in the blood.