Transport Of Oxygen By Haemoglobin

EFFECTS OF CARBON DIOXIDE CONCENTRATION:

• Hb has a reduced affinity for oxygen in the presence of carbon dioxide.
• The greater the concentration of carbon dioxide, the more readily the Hb releases its oxygen (the Bohr effect).
• At the gas exchange surface, the concentration of carbon dioxide is low becasue it diffuses across the exchange surface and is excreted from the organism. The affinity of Hb for oxygen is increased, which, coupled with the high concentration of oxygen in the lungs, means that oxygen is readily loaded by Hb. The reduced carbon dioxide concentration has shifted the oxygen dissociation curve to the left.
• In rapidly respiring tissues, the concentration of carbon dioxide is high. The affinity of Hb for oxygen is reduced, which, coupled with the low concentration of oxygen in the muscles, means that oxygen is readily unloaded from the Hb into…