Haemoglobin Notes

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  • CO2 diffuses into erythrocyte (Red blood cell)
    • CO2 + Water forms Carbonic Acid
      • Carbonic Acid then disassociates to form H+ ions (protons) and Hydrogen-carbonate Ions
        • Hydrogen-carbonate Ions are diffused out of the erythrocyte
          • This  move of Hydrogen-Carbonate Ions, causes a charge imbalance, this is rectified by the movement of chloride ions into the erythrocyte - this stage is known as the Chloride Shift
            • The H+ Ions inside the erythrocyte would make the red blood cell far too acidic, so they are combined with Haemoglobin (Hb) to form Haemoglobic Acid, which acts as a "buffer" (Constant pH)
  • The Bohr Shift
    • The Bohr Shift is : H+ is in competition for space inside the erythrocyte , so pushes the oxygen molecules out to provide space for itself. This means that the higher the abundance of carbon dioxide, the easier it is for oxygen to disassociate from haemoglobin and get to respiring tissues faster.

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