As blood flows through systemic capillaries, carbonic acid dissociates into a bicarbonate ion and a hydrogen ion within the erythrocyte; the bicarbonate is moved out by the chloride shift while the hydrogen ion binds with hemoglobin.

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This process is a part of the carbon dioxide transport mechanism in the blood. Carbonic acid (formed from carbon dioxide and water with the help of the enzyme carbonic anhydrase within erythrocytes) dissociates into bicarbonate and hydrogen ions. The bicarbonate ion is then exchanged for a chloride ion from the plasma (the chloride shift), and the hydrogen ion binds to hemoglobin, which helps in maintaining the pH balance of the blood.

As Blood Flows Through Systemic Capillaries, Carbonic Acid Dissociates into a Bicarbonate