Oxygen dissociation curve
Oxygen Dissociation Curve
The Oxygen Dissociation Curve (pronunciation: /ˈɒksɪdʒən dɪˈsəʊʃɪˌeɪʃən kɜːv/) is a graph that plots the proportion of hemoglobin in its saturated (oxygen-laden) form on the vertical axis against the prevailing oxygen tension on the horizontal axis.
Etymology
The term "Oxygen Dissociation Curve" is derived from the process it describes. "Oxygen" (from the Greek 'oxy' meaning 'sharp' and 'genes' meaning 'producer') refers to the element that is being carried by the hemoglobin. "Dissociation" (from the Latin 'dis-' meaning 'apart' and 'sociare' meaning 'to join') refers to the process of oxygen detaching from the hemoglobin. "Curve" (from the Latin 'curvus' meaning 'bent') refers to the shape of the graph that is produced when this process is plotted.
Description
The Oxygen Dissociation Curve is an important tool in understanding how our blood carries and releases oxygen. Specifically, the curve explores how changes in the partial pressure of oxygen in the blood (measured in mmHg) can influence the binding and release of oxygen molecules from hemoglobin.
The curve is S-shaped (sigmoidal) because the ability of hemoglobin to bind oxygen depends on how much oxygen is already bound. When the curve is steep, small changes in the partial pressure of oxygen can cause large changes in oxygen binding, and vice versa.
Related Terms
- Hemoglobin: The protein molecule in red blood cells that carries oxygen from the lungs to the body's tissues and returns carbon dioxide from the tissues back to the lungs.
- Partial pressure: The pressure that would be exerted by one of the gases in a mixture if it occupied the same volume on its own.
- Bohr effect: A physiological phenomenon that states that hemoglobin's oxygen binding affinity is inversely related both to acidity and to the concentration of carbon dioxide.
- Haldane effect: The Haldane effect is a property of hemoglobin that the lower the amount of oxygen bound to hemoglobin, the more capacity it has to carry carbon dioxide.
External links
- Medical encyclopedia article on Oxygen dissociation curve
- Wikipedia's article - Oxygen dissociation curve
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