Effects of Decreased Oxygen Affinity in Hemoglobin

[manohman]

In a Hemoglobin/Sickle Cell Disease passage, TPRH says that

"A reduced oxygen affinity level in Hemoglobin would not lead to higher CO2 levels".

So in reality, would decreased affinity of hemoglobin to oxygen, due to some mutation, actually lead to decreased CO2 levels?


If oxygen affinity was lowered, then the tissues would be getting less oxygen and would have to rely on Anaerobic Respiration more, or at the very least the rate of aerobic respiration would go down, meaning less CO2 would be produced?

Also, when we talk about "CO2 levels" or "O2 Levels" we mean in the blood including bound to hemoglobin, in bicarbonate form, dissolved in the plasma, etc, right? Unless they specified?

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[AlteredScale]

There are two conformation shapes to Hg, Taut (t) and relaxed (r).

Decreased affinity of Hg to O2 is indicative of hemoglobin in its taut state. This is a conformation state found in physiological situations of high CO2, 2,3 BPG, low pH. Why? Because the taut state has a lower affinity for oxygen, it has the ability of picking up more CO2 than it's other conformation. Now if it is picking up MORE CO2 we would expect that this would lead to LOWER Co2 levels.

This would make your bolded statement true.

CO2 and O2 levels should always be considered to the context of the passage if the question calls for it. If not, consider the levels in it's most common form.