Hemoglobin

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ryansharma

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Hi guys...can someone help me with this question:

Using a diagram, explain what happens to hemoglobin as oxygen is transported from the lungs to the tissues?

Any assistance would be greatly appreciated.
 
Hi guys...can someone help me with this question:

Using a diagram, explain what happens to hemoglobin as oxygen is transported from the lungs to the tissues?

Any assistance would be greatly appreciated.

The question is basically asking for the "oxygen dissociation curve". You can find why Hb behaves this way (consequent accelerated uncoupling of O2 from Hb with loss of first O2 molecule) on google.
 
it's been such a long time since i thought about these dissociation curves but i'm gonna say you just draw the sigmoidal curve and make it shift to the right thus signifying that the affinity of Hb for O2 decreases and as a result O2 can be released to tissues and out of blood. I'm thinking the y axis is % saturation of Hb and x axis is partial pressures or something (don't quote me on that).
 
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