What is haemoglobin, and what is its role of in the transport of oxygen?
Haemoglobin is a protein with a quaternary structure found in red blood cells.
Haemoglobin binds to oxygen and carries it in the blood from the lungs to tissues where it's needed. It then releases the oxygen for cells to use.
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What does the cooperative nature of oxygen binding mean?
The cooperative nature of oxygen binding means that the binding of the first oxygen molecule to haemoglobin makes it easier for subsequent oxygen molecules to bind.
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Compare the partial pressures of oxygen in the lungs and in respiring tissues, including reference to haemoglobin binding to or releasing oxygen.
In the lungs, the partial pressure of oxygen is high, so haemoglobin binds to oxygen.
In respiring tissues, the partial pressure of oxygen is low, so haemoglobin releases oxygen.
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What is the Bohr effect?
The Bohr effect, or Bohr shift, refers to the rightward shift in the oxygen dissociation curve in response to increased carbon dioxide concentration.
Higher carbon dioxide levels make haemoglobin release oxygen more readily, enhancing oxygen unloading where it's most needed.
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What is the oxygen dissociation curve?
The oxygen dissociation curve is a graph showing how the saturation of haemoglobin with oxygen changes when the partial pressure of oxygen changes.
It is sometimes called the oxyhaemoglobin dissociation curve.
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What is the significance of different affinities for oxygen in fetal and adult haemoglobin?
Fetal haemoglobin has a higher affinity for oxygen than adult haemoglobin, allowing it to draw oxygen from the mother's blood supply.
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