The ________ circulation picks up oxygen for cellular use and drops off carbon dioxide for removal from the body.

Among the choices provided, only one process is directly influenced by atmospheric pressure:

Pulmonary Ventilation (Correct): Pulmonary ventilation, also known as breathing, is driven by pressure differences between the lungs and the atmosphere. Atmospheric pressure plays a pivotal role in this process by facilitating the movement of air into and out of the lungs.

The other options mentioned in the choices—Photosynthesis, Osmosis, and Evaporation—are not primarily influenced by atmospheric pressure. While atmospheric pressure can indirectly affect certain aspects of these processes, it is not a dominant factor in their mechanisms.

The intercostal muscles are muscles are located along the ribs. The intercostal muscles assist in respiration mechanically. This allows the expansion and contraction of the thorax.
Contraction of the external intercostal muscle causesthe ribs and sternum move upward.

Our blood flow is separated into two major pathways, listed below:

1. Systemic circulation - this comes from the left side of the heart and pumps blood to all working tissues, including the brain, muscle, heart, and other organs, and then into the right side of the heart.
2. Pulmonary system - this comes from the right side of the heart, and pumps blood to the alveolar sacs within the lungs, and then into the left side of the heart

Inpulmonary circulation: The pulmonary artery is a big artery that comes from the heart. It splits into two main branches, and brings blood from the heart to the lungs. At the lungs, the blood picks up oxygen and drops off carbon dioxide.