Haemoglobin

Question 1

What structure do haemoglobin have?

Answer 1

Quaternary

Question 2

What is a Quaternary structure

Answer 2

More than one (four) polypeptide chains bonded together

Question 3

What does Haemoglobin contain?

Answer 3

Hem group

Question 4

what do haem molecules do?

Answer 4

oxygen binds to it, reversibly

Question 5

What is Haemoglobin responsible for?

Answer 5

carrying oxygen from the gas exchange to cells for respiration

Question 6

level of oxygenation

Answer 6

air pressure X proportion of oxygen in air

Question 7

once an oxygen molecule binds what happens?

Answer 7

the quaternary structure changes to allow rapid binding of oxygen to the haem groups (high affinity for oxygen)

Question 8

Once one oxygen molecule leaves the haemoglobin molecule what happens?

Answer 8

The quaternary structure changes to allow rapid release of oxygen to the surrounding respiring cells. (low affinity for oxygen)

Question 9

How have different organisms adapted to live in different environments?

Answer 9

oxygen dissociation curves to left or right
if to the left then oxygen can bind more easily (low oxygen environment)
if to th right then oxygen binds less readily allowing oxygen to be easily released in the cells

Question 10

where to foetuses have their oxygen dissociation curves?

Answer 10

to the left

allows them to absorb oxygen from mothers blood

Question 11

how does the carbon dioxide level in the blood effect haemoglobin?

Answer 11

Carbon dioxide absorbed into red blood cells
decrease the PH of blood
which in turn decreases the affinity for oxygen

this means that as red blood cells receive carbon dioxide from cells they give off oxygen