Given below are two statements: One is labelled as Assertion A and the other is labelled as Reason R. Assertion A: Nearly 70 % of carbon dioxide is transported in the blood as bicarbonate ions. Reason R: Red blood cells contain a very high concentration of the enzyme carbonic anhydrase, which facilitates the rapid conversion of CO ₂ and water into bicarbonate and hydrogen ions at the tissue site. In the light of the

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Nearly 70 % of carbon dioxide is transported in the blood as bicarbonate ions. This makes Assertion A true. Red blood cells contain a very high concentration of the enzyme carbonic anhydrase, whereas plasma contains minute quantities of it. At the tissue site, where the partial pressure of CO ₂ is high due to catabolism, CO ₂ diffuses into the blood (RBCs and plasma). The enzyme carbonic anhydrase facilitates the rapid conversion of CO ₂ and water into carbonic acid, which dissociates into bicarbonate ( HCO ₃^- ) a