Transport of Gases in Human Bodily Fluids

These flashcards cover the key concepts related to the transport of gases in human bodily fluids, focusing on oxygen and carbon dioxide transport, hemoglobin's structure and function, and the effects of environmental factors on gas exchange.

Only ___ percent of oxygen in the blood is dissolved directly into the blood itself.

1.5

Most oxygen—___ percent—is bound to a protein called hemoglobin.

98.5

Hemoglobin, or Hb, is made of four subunits: two alpha subunits and two ___ subunits.

beta

Each hemoglobin molecule can bind ___ oxygen molecules.

four

The binding of oxygen to hemoglobin creates an oxygen dissociation curve that is ___ shaped.

S

As the partial pressure of oxygen increases, hemoglobin becomes increasingly ___ with oxygen.

saturated

The affinity of hemoglobin for oxygen decreases when blood pH ___ due to increased carbon dioxide levels.

decreases

Carbon dioxide reacts with water in the blood to form ___ and hydrogen ions.

bicarbonate

About ___ to ___ percent of carbon dioxide is dissolved in the plasma.

5 to 7

When carbon dioxide binds to hemoglobin, it forms a molecule called ___hemoglobin.

carbamino

The majority of carbon dioxide molecules (___ percent) are carried as part of the bicarbonate buffer system.

85

Carbonic anhydrase (CA) converts carbon dioxide into ___ acid.

carbonic

The process of bicarbonate ions being exchanged for chloride ions is called the ___ shift.

chloride

Carbon monoxide has a greater affinity for hemoglobin than ___.

oxygen

Administering ___ percent (pure) oxygen is a common treatment for carbon monoxide poisoning.

100