Haemoglobin & Oxygen dissociation curves

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  • Created by: charlotte
  • Created on: 21-05-13 11:50

Haemoglobin & Oxygen dissociation
Haemoglobin is a protein with four polypeptide chains, and so it has a quatenary structure.
Affinity= bonding of haemoglobin and oxygen
Oxygen dissociation= Release of oxygen from haemoglobin

Bohr effect: Rising carbon dioxide levels in the tissues decreases the affinity of haemoglobin for oxygen. So there is a greater dissociation of oxygen from haemoglobin, this increases the amount of oxygen released to the tissues.

Different organisms have different haemoglobins with different affinities for oxygen, their haemoglobin's oxygen affinity relates to the way of life they are adapted to.

High altitude organisms: Oxygen dissociation curve would shift to the left. This shows the increased affinity for oxygen, as there is less oxygen available at high altitudes and so the animals are able to absorb high amounts of oxygen where it would be difficult for us. Examples of animals living in high altitudes could include llamas. 

Foetuses: The haemoglobin's…

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