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Page Facing Up

Theme B - Form & Function

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Direct Hit

Theme A - Unity & diversity

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Pill

Theme C - Interaction &  Interdependence

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Keycap Digit One

Theme D - Continuity & Change

<ul>
	<li>What is it? Haemoglobin is like an oxygen delivery guy, present in red blood cells.</li>
	<li>How does it work? Think of haemoglobin as a car with 4 seats. Each seat (haem group) can have an oxygen passenger.</li>
</ul>

<ul>
	<li>Cooperative Binding! When one oxygen takes a seat, it makes the other seats more comfy for additional oxygen passengers. However, if one oxygen leaves, it makes the other seats less appealing!</li>
	<li>R state vs T state: These are haemoglobin&#39;s moods:
	<ul>
		<li>R state - Party mode! 🎉 All 4 seats are taken.</li>
		<li>T state - Lonely mode 🙁. No oxygen on any seat.</li>
	</ul>
	</li>
</ul>

<ul>
	<li>Oxygen saturation = How many seats in our haemoglobin car are taken.</li>
	<li>More oxygen in the air (higher partial pressure) = More passengers (oxygen) hopping into the car.</li>
	<li>At 10kPa (kinda like a traffic signal), the car is full, with a 100% seating capacity reached!</li>
	<li>Example: When blood flows near the lungs (which is like an oxygen party zone with 10-13kPa), the car fills up quickly. Then, as it travels to low-oxygen areas (like a quiet town with less than 10kPa), some oxygen passengers leave the car to visit the organ&#39;s tissues.</li>
</ul>

<ul>
	<li>Because of the drama of cooperative binding, our haemoglobin car can quickly go from full to empty over just a short range of oxygen concentrations.</li>
	<li>Imagine you&#39;re at a concert (tissue) and suddenly, your favorite song plays (aerobic respiration). You&#39;d want to get as close to the stage (higher oxygen concentration) as quickly as possible, right? Haemoglobin ensures this rapid shift!</li>
</ul>

Haemoglobin doesn&#39;t only interact with oxygen. It also has some chemistry going on with carbon dioxide! But that&#39;s a story for another time (or Section B3.1.12).

<ul>
	<li>Plot Twist! Babies produce a different type of haemoglobin before they are born.</li>
	<li>Baby Haemoglobin (Foetal Haemoglobin):
	<ul>
		<li>Stronger attraction to oxygen than adult haemoglobin.</li>
		<li>It&#39;s like a baby&#39;s blanket - super clingy and comfy.</li>
	</ul>
	</li>
	<li>Adult Haemoglobin:
	<ul>
		<li>Lesser attraction to oxygen than baby haemoglobin.</li>
		<li>More like a teenager&#39;s attitude - a bit more independent and less clingy.</li>
	</ul>
	</li>
	<li>Real-World Gist: Picture a mom (with adult haemoglobin) and her baby (with foetal haemoglobin) in a candy shop (placenta). The baby&#39;s candy grabbing skills (attraction for oxygen) are way better than the mom&#39;s, so the baby ends up with more candies (oxygen)!</li>
</ul>

Recap: Haemoglobin is like an oxygen taxi. It fills up near the lungs and drops off oxygen in places where it&#39;s needed the most. And while adults and babies have different types of haemoglobin, both ensure life stays sweet and oxygenated! 🎉🍭🚗🌬️

Theme B - Form & Function

Unlocking Hemoglobin's Oxygen Secrets

Table of content

The basics of haemoglobin 🎈

The drama of binding 🎭

The oxygen saturation plot twist 📈

Unlock the Full Content!

Theme B - Form & Function

Unlocking Hemoglobin's Oxygen Secrets

Table of content

The basics of haemoglobin 🎈

The drama of binding 🎭

The oxygen saturation plot twist 📈

Unlock the Full Content!