What is hypoxia?

Hypoxia refers specifically to a condition where there is an inadequate supply of oxygen available to the tissues and cells. This lack of oxygen can lead to various complications as cells require oxygen for survival and proper functioning. When hypoxia occurs, the body's metabolic processes are impaired, which can affect organ function and overall health.

The other choices describe different physiological conditions that are important, but they do not define hypoxia accurately. For instance, excessive blood flow would typically increase oxygen delivery, not decrease it, which contradicts the definition of hypoxia. Similarly, having too much oxygen in the body would result in hyperoxia, not hypoxia. Lastly, high levels of carbon dioxide in the blood refer to hypercapnia, which can occur in some respiratory conditions, but it is distinctly different from hypoxia, which is focused on a deficiency of oxygen rather than an excess of carbon dioxide.