transport of oxygen and co2 in the blood (chapter8)

Question 1

transporting oxygen

Answer 1

• erythrocytes contain heamoglobin ( the red pigment that carries oxygen)
• heamoglobin is a very large globular conjugated protein, with a iron-containing heam prothetic group.
• the oxygen binds quite loosely to the heamoglobin forming oxyheamoglobin (an irrevirsible reaction)

Answer 2

• when erythrocytes enter the capillaries in the lungs, the oxygen levels i the cella are relatively low making a steep concentration for diffusion to take place.
• oxygen moves into the rythrocyes and binds with the heamoglobin. As oxygen molecules bind to the heamoglobin, it changes shape to make it easier for the next to bind (this is positive cooperativity)
• this situation is reversed when blood reaches the body cells.