Role of haemoglobin

• The role of haemoglobin is to transport oxygen
• The role of haemoglobin is to transport oxygen. To be efficient at transporting oxygen, haemoglobin must:

  • Readily associate with oxygen at the surface where gas exchange takes place
• The role of haemoglobin is to transport oxygen. To be efficient at transporting oxygen, haemoglobin must:

  • Readily dissociate from oxygen at those tissues requiring it
• Haemoglobin changes its affinity (chemical attraction) for oxygen under different conditions

  • It achieves this because its shape changes in the presence of certain substances
• Haemoglobin changes its affinity (chemical attraction) for oxygen under different conditions

  • It achieves this because its shape changes in the presence of certain substances, such as co2
  • In the presence of co2, the new shape of the haemoglobin molecule binds more loosely to oxygen - as a result haemoglobin releases oxygen