The Bohr shift

What is the Bohr shift?

When haemoglobin is shifted to the right on an oxygen dissociation curve as there is a high level of carbon dioxide in the blood

Describe the Bohr shift

When respiration rates are high, more carbon dioxide is produced by cells and more carbon dioxide diffuses into the red blood cells, dissolving to form more carbonic acid. The higher levels of carbonic acid means that more dissociates to release H+ ions, causing more oxyhaemoglobin to dissociate, which releases more oxygen into the cells as it dissociates at higher partial pressures of oxygen than normal. This shifts the curve to the right so that more oxygen is released to be used in aerobic respiration.

What is the purpose of the Bohr shift?

More oxygen is released due to the right shifted curve (as it is easier for oxygen to dissociate from red blood cells) so that it can be used in aerobic respiration

What factors results in the Bohr shift?

Higher rates of respiration and higher carbon dioxide concentrations, acidic blood due to the increase in the number of H+ ions, and raised temperature of the blood

Describe the chloride shift in reverse

Oxygen in the alveoli is loaded into red blood cells by diffusion to form oxyhaemoglobin, which dissociates some H+ from the haemoglobinic acid. The H+ joins with hydrogen carbonate to form water and carbon dioxide, which is unloaded from the red blood cell into the lungs by diffusion