Question

what will happen if oxygenated and deoxygenated blood mixed together

Answer 1

Hey there !

A hole between the two sides of the heart produces an abnormal mixture of oxygenated blood from the pulmonary circulation and deoxygenated blood from the systemic circulation. ... Right heart failure may then develop, and the supply of appropriately oxygenated blood to the body tissues may become compromised.

Hope it helps you !

Answer 2

Well, if oxygenated and deoxygenated bloods get mixed, it will reduce the overall efficiency of blood to carry oxygen to the tissues. How it does so is interesting. If for instance, there is a ventricular septal defect in a person, the oxygenated blood will go to the right side due to the higher pressure in the left ventricle, and from there, pass through the whole process of pulmonary circulation once again. Obviously since this is increasing the oxygenated blood, so there won't be any problems. But after a while, the pulmonary resistance will increase, and if it becomes greater than the systemic circulation, it will cause blood flow from the right to the left ventricles. Now deoxygenated blood is mixing in large amounts with oxygenated blood, which is being delivered to the systemic circulation. This is what will decrease O2 carrying efficiency and cause cyanosis