<prompt> Hematocrit increases in venous blood due toIncreased sodiumIncreased chlorideIncreased potassiumIncreased calcium  <response>: CHLORIDE SHFTFor each CO2 molecule added to a red cell, there is an increase of one osmotically active paicle in the cell-- either an HCO3- or a Cl- in the red cell Figure 36-6. Consequently, the red cells take up water and increase in size. For this reason, plus the fact that a small amount of fluid in the aerial blood returns the lymphatics rather than the veinsThe hematocrit of venous blood is normally 3 greater than that of the aerial blood. In the lungs, the Cl- moves out of the cells and they shrink.Thus increased Cl- in venous blood cause increased hematocrit 