Haemoglobin flashcards

Quaternary structure

A protein that is built from more than one polypeptide chain

Affinity for oxygen

The tendency of a molecule to combine with oxygen

Reversible reaction

A reaction that can run in both directions, shown by a double arrow

Partial pressure of oxygen

A measure of the concentration of dissolved oxygen

Partial pressure of carbon dioxide

A measure of the concentration of carbon dioxide

Oxyhaemoglobin dissociation curve

A curve that shows how saturated haemoglobin is with oxygen at any given partial pressure of oxygen

Cooperative binding

The way that each oxygen that binds onto the haemoglobin molecule makes the next one bind more easily

The Bohr effect

The idea that the tissues creating the most carbon dioxide are the ones that get oxygen released to them the fastest, because the rate of oxygen unloading increases