hemoglobin

Transport of Oxygen and Carbon Dioxide

Hemoglobin and its role
● Protein with a quaternary structure
● Two alpha globin polypeptides and two beta
globin polypeptides
● When hemoglobin is combined with oxygen it is
referred to as OXYHEMOGLOBIN
● ROLE: Haemoglobin combines with oxygen when
oxygen is at a high concentration (lungs), and
releases (dissociates)it in areas where it is
at a low concentration (tissues)
The haemoglobin dissociation curve (Sigmoid curve)
Because
oxygen is a
gas, we don’t
say
concentration
of oxygen we
say partial
pressure
EXPLANATION OF DISSOCIATION CURVE
● The greater the partial pressure of oxygen, the
greater the percentage saturation of the haemoglobin.

● This means that hemoglobin, in an erythrocyte near the

lungs can be up to 95-100% saturated
● While erythrocytes near actively respiring muscle cell
are up to 20-25% saturated with oxygen
EXPLANATION OF DISSOCIATION CURVE
The partial pressure of oxygen tells us how much oxygen is
available
The Unique S shaped Curve of hemoglobin
The binding of the first oxygen is the hardest. (First
initial curve in the “S”)
Once the first oxygen binds to hemoglobin, this makes it
easier for hemoglobin to bind to another (cooperative
binding)due to a change in the moleculecular shape.
At high partial pressures, hemoglobin has a high affinity
for oxygen
The Unique S shaped Curve of hemoglobin
At low partial pressures of oxygen, hemoglobin has a low
affinity for oxygen
 CARBON DIOXIDE
LEAVING THE BODY
Carbon dioxide diffuses down its concentration gradient
1. 5% is carried away in plasma
2. 85 % travels down its concentration gradient into red
blood cells

In the cytoplasm of the erythrocytes, there is an enzyme

called carbonic anhydrase
Carbon dioxide diffuses down its concentration gradient
● The hydrogen ions quickly combine with the haemoglobin
molecules inside the erythrocyte.

● This forms haemoglobinic acid, which makes the

haemoglobin release the oxygen that it is carrying.

● The hydrogencarbonate ions diffuse out of the erythrocyte

and into the blood plasma. They remain here in solution,
and are carried to the lungs
Carbon dioxide diffuses down its concentration gradient
3.Carbon dioxide combines directly with the NH2 terminal of
haemoglobin, forming a compound called carbaminohaemoglobin.
About 10% of the carbon dioxide is transported in this form.
tHE bOHR EFFECT
When there is a lot of carbon dioxide around the high
concentration of carbon dioxide causes events in the
erythrocyte that make the haemoglobin release some of its
oxygen

And where would we find high concentrations of carbon

dioxide?
NB. In
high
concentrat
ions of
CO2 the
graph
shifts to
to the
right