Haemoglobin

4 x Haem group
+ 4 x Polypeptide chain

Oxygen dissociation curve

100%

% saturation of haemoglobin

partial pressure of O2 (mmHg) Body tissue

Lung

The Bohr Effect

100%

Plateau: Haemaglobin has a high affinity for O2 so is highly saturated even if there is not much O2 Makes the haemaglobin load up with O2 in lung

% saturation of haemoglobin Steep slope:

A small drop in the amount of O2 means the haemaglobin has a much lower affinity for O2 The haemaglobin is less saturated with oxygen as it gives it up to the tissues more easily.

partial pressure of O2 (mmHg) This means the haemaglobin is highly effective in uptaking large amount of O2 from the lungs but release it so easily to the tissue cells

Bohr effect the effect of CO2 on haemoglobin

Lower CO2 e.g. in lung curve shift to the left haemoglobin has a higher affinity to O2

Higher CO2 e.g. tissue cells curve shift to the right haemoglobin has a lower affinity to O2

% saturation of haemoglobin

partial pressure of O2 (mmHg) in actively respiring tissue cells, O2 is more easily released by haemoglobin !

Oxygen dissociation curve: Haemoglobin VS Myoglobin

Myoglobin

Haemoglobin

% saturation of haemoglobin

partial pressure of O2 (mmHg) Myoglobin stores O2 in muscles and release it only when the O2 partial pressure is very low.

Oxygen dissociation curve: Foetal VS Maternal

Foetal Maternal

% saturation of haemoglobin

partial pressure of O2 (mmHg) Foetal haemoglobin has higher affinity to O2 so as obtain O2 from maternal blood in the placenta.

Transport of carbon dioxide

CO2 is carried by your blood in three ways:

5% carried in solution in the plasma as CO2

10% combines with the haemoglobin to form carbamino-haemoglobin 85% is carried in red blood cells as hydrogen carbonate: HCO3-

Formation of hydrogen carbonate

CO2 diffuses from tissues into red blood cells. The RBCs contain an enzyme called carbonic anhydrase which catalyses the reaction between CO2 and water to form carbonic acid: CO2 + H2O H2CO3 Carbonic acid dissociates into negatively charged hydrogen carbonate and positively charged hydrogen ions: H2CO3 H+ + HCO3 The hydrogen ions (H+) increase the acidity of the blood and combine with Haemoglobin to give haemoglobinic acid. This decreases the affinity of haemoglobin to oxygen so it gives it up to the tissues (the Bohr effect)

Formation of hydrogen carbonate

The build up of hydrogen carbonate ions causes them to diffuse out of the RBC leaving the inside of the RBC positively charged. In order to balance this electric charge, chloride ions diffuse into the RBCs from the plasma this is known as the chloride shift. At the lungs, all these reactions are reversed: The hydrogen carbonate and hydrogen ions recombine releasing CO2. The chloride shift is reversed. Carbamino-haemoglobin breaks down to release CO2.