Where does this come from, and can I check it?

Nitrogen dissolved under pressure forms bubbles when the pressure falls quickly. The figure is taken from Merck Manual, which is linked in full on this page. Every fact on Mondo Knows names its source rather than repeating an unsourced claim.

Is this really a human body fact?

Yes. It sits on the Human Body shelf, one of 2,600 sourced facts grouped into space, animals, the human body, history, science and more. Category pages collect every fact in the same field.

What else can I read about it?

The links under the fact point to a quiz, game, puzzle or calculator on the same subject, and the shelf below shows related facts. The wording here is original, and quoted phrases are marked as quotations.

Mondo Knows Facts

Rapid pressure change can liberate gas in the blood

Nitrogen dissolved under pressure forms bubbles when the pressure falls quickly At depth, raised pressure pushes more nitrogen into body fluids. A fast return to the surface leaves that gas supersaturated, so bubbles can form in blood and tissue. Slow, staged ascents allow the excess to leave through the lungs instead. It sits in Mondo's human body collection, one of 200 facts that each trace back to the reference below.

Where this comes from

Merck Manual

Facts that can change over time are reviewed and updated. If something here looks wrong, Mondo would rather know than be confidently incorrect.

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Science trivia

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Pluto features a giant heart-shaped nitrogen glacierSputnik Planitia is a vast plain of frozen nitrogen ice on the dwarf planet Human blood vessels could circle the Earth two and a half timesStretching capilliaries arteries and veins end to end totals 100,000 kilometres The body produces millions of red blood cells every secondRed blood cells circulate for about 120 days before being recycled An average adult body contains about five litres of bloodBlood accounts for roughly seven to eight percent of total adult body weight White blood cells defend the body against infectious pathogensLeukocytes circulate in blood and tissue to destroy invading bacteria and viruses Platelets initiate blood clotting to seal broken blood vesselsCell fragments clump together and form fibrin meshes to stop bleeding

Tags: pressure, nitrogen, blood

Rapid pressure change can liberate gas in the blood: the short answers

Where does this come from, and can I check it?: Nitrogen dissolved under pressure forms bubbles when the pressure falls quickly. The figure is taken from Merck Manual, which is linked in full on this page. Every fact on Mondo Knows names its source rather than repeating an unsourced claim.
Is this really a human body fact?: Yes. It sits on the Human Body shelf, one of 2,600 sourced facts grouped into space, animals, the human body, history, science and more. Category pages collect every fact in the same field.
What else can I read about it?: The links under the fact point to a quiz, game, puzzle or calculator on the same subject, and the shelf below shows related facts. The wording here is original, and quoted phrases are marked as quotations.