Haemoglobin

Haemoglobin transports oxygen

• Oxygen enters the lungs from the air and needs to transported around the body to cells

• Oxygen is transported to body cells via the blood

  • Red blood cells contain haemoglobin, which has 4 haem group

  • In the capillaries in the lungs, oxygen binds to iron in haemorrhage groups forming an oxyhaemoglobin

  • Each haemoglobin molecule can carry 4 oxygen molecules, one per haem group,

  • Oxyhaemoglobin can be transported via the blood to respiring tissues

  • At body cells, oxygen dissociates from the haemoglobin

Factors affecting haemoglobin saturation

• Haemoglonin saturation with oxygen depends on the oxygen concentration or partial pressure of oxygen measured in kPa. Partial pressure can be shown on a graph called a oxygen