The respiratory and cardiovascular systems of vertebrate animals work in tandem to transport oxygen to metabolizing tissues and to eliminate carbon dioxide as a waste gas. Which of the following statements accurately describes how these systems interact for gas exchange?
a) The premise of the question is incorrect. The cardiovascular and respiratory systems are completely independently regulated by the body, so that one does not affect the other
b) The rate of oxygen transport by diffusion across the lungs must generally match the rate of transport by the circulatory system.
c) Bulk flow of gases and solutes works well over very short distances, whereas diffusion is effective only over long distances.
d) The rate of gas exchange by diffusion need not match rates of ventilation or circulatory transport.