Episode 123: Respiratory and Circulatory Systems Part 2
The Science of Everything Podcast
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The Coordination of Hemoglobin and Oxygen
Each hemoglobin cule has four sub units, and each of those sub units has a single hem group with one iron molecule. These hem groups are critical because they are the bits that actually carry the oxygen molecules. Each of these four hem groups in the hemoglobin molecule can bind or not bind oxygen, depending on those factors. The amount of surrounding oxygen and the effect that has on the actual shape of thehemoglobin molecule allows it to favor or disfavor bining to oxygen. Carbon dioxide is carried through tissue in a variety of ways but some of it doesn't bind directly to hemoglobin. Everton: "There's quite a lot of complex chemistry involved"
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