Oxygen Dissocation Curve Flashcards
1
Q
What does it show?
A
How much oxygen haemoglobin is carrying at a different partial pressure
2
Q
What happens at the first joining of the first oxygen molecule?
A
- It is quite slow
3
Q
What happens at the second and third joining of the first oxygen molecule?
A
- It is faster
4
Q
What happens at the fourth joining of the first oxygen molecule?
A
- It is quite difficult
5
Q
How does a foetus get the oxygen it needs?
A
- A foetus developing in the uterus must be able to load oxygen from its mother’s blood
- To maximise the amount of oxygen the foetus receives, it has different haemoglobin (foetal haemoglobin)
6
Q
How is foetal haemoglobin different to adult haemoglobin?
A
- Foetal haemoglobin has a high affinity for oxygen than adult haemoglobin
- It combines more readily with oxygen so the foetus pick up enough oxygen
- the dissociation curve moves left
7
Q
What is it neccessary that foetal haemoglobin different to adult haemoglobin?
A
- This is to maximise the amount of oxygen that foetus receives so it has different haemoglobin
8
Q
What happens if the curve is to left of the graph?
A
- High affinity for oxygen
9
Q
What happens if the curve is to right of the graph?
A
- lower affinity for oxygen
- so it takes up more readily oxygen but releases it more easily.
