Sunday, August 4, 2024

The oxyhaemoglobin dissociation curve can move!

 


The oxyhaemoglobin dissociation curve shows the relationship between oxygen saturation of haemoglobin and the PO2. Normal is shown in blue.

This relationship changes with several factors, as shown in the picture. A right shift means the haemoglobin holds the oxygen less tightly, and left shift means it will hold oxygen more tightly.

A practical physiological result of this is that in an exercising muscle (so raised temperature, lots of CO2, and a lower pH), haemoglobin will hold less tightly to oxygen - it will let it go exactly where it's needed.

When the haemoglobin gets back to the lungs (where CO2 drops because it's being exhaled, and so pH rises, and temperature drops a bit), then haemoglobin binds oxygen more tightly and efficiently takes it up - ready to deliver in the muscle.



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