Year 1 - Gas Transport in Blood Flashcards
What is oxygen needed for?
Aerobic respiration (which releases energy from out food)
What is carbon dioxide?
It is a waste product of respiration, which must be exhaled from the body
What is haemoglobin?
It is a protein in erythrocytes that transports oxygen
What are haem groups?
Iron-containing molecules in haemoglobin that actually bind oxygen
Why do erythrocytes have no nucleus?
To fit in more haemoglobin
What can each haemoglobin molecule carry?
Four oxygen molecules
Why are erythrocytes biconcave shaped?
It maximises surface area of the cell membrane fr oxygen to diffuse across
Why are erythrocytes tiny and flexible?
So they can squeeze through the narrowest of blood capillaries to deliver oxygen
What percent of carbon dioxide is transported dissolves in the plasma?
5%
Why does 10% of carbon dioxide react with haemoglobin?
To be transported as carbaminohaemoglobin
What percent of carbon dioxide is transported as hydrogen carbonate ions in the plasma?
85%
What is carbonic anhydrase?
It is an enzyme that catalyses the reaction between carbon dioxide and water to form carbonic acid
What does carbonic acid break down in to?
It is unstable and it breaks down into a hydrogen carbonate ion and a hydrogen ion
Where does the hydrogen carbonate ions diffuse into?
They diffuse into the plasma for transport
What kind of reactions that form hydrogen carbonate ions?
They are reversible, which means carbon dioxide can be reformed to be exhaled
