However, it is known (cf. reference 13) that the pulmonary capillary blood has
essentially reached gaseous equilibration with the 02 tension in the alveolar space
in the course of traversing only a fraction of the length of the capillary (perhaps
one-third to one-half). Evidently the mixing motion of the plasma in bolus flow,
though it may greatly facilitate the equilibration in this part of the total pathway