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Biology SL
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Theme A - Unity & Diversity
Theme A - Unity & Diversity
Theme B - Form & Function
Theme B - Form & Function
Theme C - Interaction &  Interdependence
Theme C - Interaction & Interdependence
Theme D - Continuity & Change
Theme D - Continuity & Change
IB Resources
Theme B - Form & Function
Biology SL
Biology SL

Theme B - Form & Function

Unlocking Hemoglobin's Oxygen Secrets

Word Count Emoji
467 words
Reading Time Emoji
3 mins read
Updated at Emoji
Last edited on 14th Jun 2024

Table of content

The basics of haemoglobin 🎈

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

The drama of binding 🎭

  • 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!
  • R state vs T state: These are haemoglobin's moods:
    • R state - Party mode! 🎉 All 4 seats are taken.
    • T state - Lonely mode 🙁. No oxygen on any seat.

The oxygen saturation plot twist 📈

  • Oxygen saturation = How many seats in our haemoglobin car are taken.
  • More oxygen in the air (higher partial pressure) = More passengers (oxygen) hopping into the car.
  • At 10kPa (kinda like a traffic signal), the car is full, with a 100% seating capacity reached!
  • 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's tissues.

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IB Resources
Theme B - Form & Function
Biology SL
Biology SL

Theme B - Form & Function

Unlocking Hemoglobin's Oxygen Secrets

Word Count Emoji
467 words
Reading Time Emoji
3 mins read
Updated at Emoji
Last edited on 14th Jun 2024

Table of content

The basics of haemoglobin 🎈

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

The drama of binding 🎭

  • 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!
  • R state vs T state: These are haemoglobin's moods:
    • R state - Party mode! 🎉 All 4 seats are taken.
    • T state - Lonely mode 🙁. No oxygen on any seat.

The oxygen saturation plot twist 📈

  • Oxygen saturation = How many seats in our haemoglobin car are taken.
  • More oxygen in the air (higher partial pressure) = More passengers (oxygen) hopping into the car.
  • At 10kPa (kinda like a traffic signal), the car is full, with a 100% seating capacity reached!
  • 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's tissues.

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Dive deeper and gain exclusive access to premium files of Biology SL. Subscribe now and get closer to that 45 🌟