Most carbon dioxide that travels from your muscles to your lungs for exhalation does so not as CO2 proper, but as part of bicarbonate: HCO₃−. Bicarbonate's vital to maintaining your blood pH, and it also aids in digestion. But it turns out bicarbonate also tweaks the activity of rod cells in your retina. Clint Makino, associate professor of opthalmology at Massachusetts Eye and Ear, is the author of a recent study on the subject.
News & Research
