Transport of O2 and CO2

The primary goal of respiration is to absorb

O2 from the environment to fuel the bodys
metabolism
O2 gas in
the inhaled
air

O2

dissolved

in
bloodstream

O2

transported

O2 used in the metabolism

of glucose and the synthesis
of ATP

dissolved
in tissue
O2

Movement of O2 in the body is a result of

its diffusion
The pressure of a gas is proportional to its density
of molecules and temperature
In a mixture of gas, we refer to the density of any
single molecular species as its partial pressure
If a solution of dissolved O2 is at equilibrium with
the adjoining air, the pO2 of the solution is the
same as that of the air

Diffusion occurs because:

The principle of diffusion: the gas will
diffuse from a point of high partial pressure
towards a point of low partial pressure
pO2(air)>pO2(interstitial fluid)>pO2(blood plasma)

Oxygen O2
98% travels in oxyhaemoglobin (in red
blood cells)
2% is dissolved in plasma

O2 is not very soluble thus needs a carrier !

REMEMBER
Concentration of dissolved
oxygen is often referred as the
PARTIAL PRESSURE TENSION

How is oxygen carried ?

HAEMOGLOBIN
Complex protein containing haem (iron)
1 molecule of haem combines with 4
molecules of oxygen to form oxyhaemoglobin
Hb +
Haemoglobin

O2
oxygen

HbO8
oxyhaemoglobin

This reaction is reversible.

Cooperativity
The haemoglobin molecule is a tetramer
composed of 4 protein subunits, each of which can
bind a single molecule to O2
These subunits exhibit cooperativity when they
bind to O2
i.e. the binding of O2 to any subunits increases the
likelihood that the other subunits will bind to O2

Release of O2
The release of O2 begins because metabolically
active tissue cells have consumed much of the O2
from the interstitial fluid around them
i.e pO2 (interstitial fluid)> pO2 (blood plasma)
O2 diffuses out of the capillary release of O2
bounded to haemoglobin

Haemoglobin combines with oxygen when it

is abundant and then releases it when the
concentration falls.
The cooperativity of O2 binding to
haemoglobin influences how much of the
blood O2 is delivered to any particular tissue.

This property is called an

OXYGEN DISSOCIATION CURVE

OXYGEN DISSOCIATION CURVE

Shows the amount of O2 that is bound
to haemoglobin (Y-axis) as a function
of the partial pressure of O2 in the
blood plasma (X-axis).
Because of the cooperativity, this
dissociation curve is S-shaped

OXYGEN DISSOCIATION CURVE

Bohr Effect or Bohr Shift

Niels Henrik David Bohr

Born: 7 Oct 1885 in Copenhagen, Denmark
Died: 18 Nov 1962 in Copenhagen, Denmark

Carbon Dioxide (CO2)

In red
blood
cells

70% travels as HCO3- ions

(hydrogencarbonate ions)
23% travels as carbamino
compounds
7% in plasma

CO2 = waste product of cellular metabolism

About 70% of the blood

CO2 reacts with H2O to form carbonic acid

CO2 + H2O

Carbonic

anhydrase

H2CO3

Carbonic acid rapidly dissociates into

H2CO3
H+ + HCO-3
ion H+ and bicarbonate ion

Bohr Shift
Tissues

H2CO3
H+
Trapped in
cytoplasm

HCO 3
-

Leaves the red

blood cell

acidification
in the red
blood cell

With high
level of
activity

CO2 enters

the blood

Hb
affinity
with O2

Bohr Shift

Release
of O2

Bohr Effect or Bohr Shift

The dissociation curve moves to the right at higher
concentration of carbon dioxide. This shows that
carbon dioxide lowers the affinity of Hb for
oxygen.
This means that when carbon dioxide
concentration is higher, Hb does not hold on to its
oxygen quite as well.
Hb tends to give up O2 in area of high CO2 such
as the respiring tissues that need it most.

Effect of pH (temperature = 38oC)

Saturation of haemoglobin (%)

High blood pH
(Low CO2)

pH 7.6

Normal acidity
pH 7.4
pH 7.2 - low
blood pH (High
CO2)

8
PO2/KPa

12

Foetal haemoglobin
Foetal haemoglobin has a higher
affinity for oxygen than adult
haemoglobin.
This means that the foetus can
receive oxygen from the mother
across the placenta.

Myoglobin
Myoglobin is a pigment found in
muscles, particularly in legs and heart
muscles of mammals
Like Hb, myoglobin can reversibly
bind O2 (only one), it acts like a
temporary store of oxygen

Hope this presentation

wasnt

Bohr ing