Transport of Oxygen and

Carbon Dioxide
How Gases Are Transported
Introduction
 Once oxygen diffused from the alveoli into
the pulmonary blood, it is transported
principally in combination with hemoglobin
to the tissue capillaries to be released for
use by the cells

In tissue cells, oxygen reacts to form large

quantities of carbon dioxide which inturn
enters the tissue capillaries and is
transported back to the lungs
PRESSURES OF OXYGEN & CARBON
DIOXIDE

Gases can move from one point to

another by diffusion
Cause of movement is always a
pressure difference from the first point
to the next
 TRANSPORT OF OXYGEN IN THE
BLOOD

98% of the blood that enters the left atrium from

the lung has passed through the alveolar capillaries
and has become
Other 2% of the blood has passed directly from the
aorta through the bronchial circulation supplying the
deep tissues of the lungs, not exposed to the
pulmonary air (shunt)
Blood pumped by the left side of the heart to the
aorta fall about a PaO2 of 95 mmHg
 Oxygen Transport

O2 is transported by the blood either,

Combined with haemoglobin (Hb) in the red blood
cells (>98%) or,
Dissolved in the blood plasma (<2%).
 Oxygen Transport
The resting body requires 250ml of O2 per
minute.
We have four to six billion haemoglobin
containing red blood cells.
The haemoglobin allows nearly 70 times
more O2 than dissolved in plasma.
 Haemoglobin
Haemoglobin molecules can Co-operative binding:
transport up to four O2s haemoglobins affinity for
O2 increases as its
saturation increases.

When 4 O2s are bound to

Oxygen binding occurs in
haemoglobin, it is 100% saturated,
response to the high PO2 in the
with fewer O2s it is partially
lungs
saturated.
 Lets Now Look at Haemoglobin
Saturation
Haemoglobin saturation is the
amount of oxygen bound by
each molecule of haemoglobin
Each molecule of haemoglobin can carry four
molecules of O2.
When oxygen binds to haemoglobin, it forms
OXYHAEMOGLOBIN;
Haemoglobin that is not bound to oxygen is
referred to as DEOXYHAEMOGLOBIN.
 Haemoglobin Saturation
The binding of O2 to haemoglobin
depends on the PO2 in the blood and
the bonding strength, or affinity,
between haemoglobin and oxygen.
The graph on the following page shows an
oxygen dissociation curve, which reveals
the amount of haemoglobin saturation at
different PO2 values.
The Oxygen Dissociation Curve

Reveals the amount of

haemoglobin saturation
at different PO2 values.
 The Oxygen Disassociation Curve
Haemoglobin saturation isIn the lungs the partial
pressure is approximately
determined by the partial pressure
100mm ofHg at this Partial
oxygen. When these values Pressure
are haemoglobin has
a high affinity to 02 and is
graphed they produce the Oxygen
98% saturated.

Disassociation Curve
In the tissues of other
organs a typical PO2 is 40
mmHg here haemoglobin
has a lower affinity for O2
and releases some but not
all of its O2 to the tissues.
When haemoglobin leaves
the tissues it is still 75%
saturated.
 Haemoglobin Saturation at High Values

Lungs at sea level:

PO2 of 100mmHg
haemoglobin is 98% Lungs at high
SATURATED elevations: PO2
of 80mmHg,
haemoglobin 95
% saturated
When the PO2 in the
lungs declines below
typical sea level values,
haemoglobin still has a Even though PO2
high affinity for O2 and differs by 20 mmHg
remains almost fully there is almost no
saturated. difference in
haemoglobin
saturation.
Haemoglobin Saturation at Low Values
Factors Altering Haemoglobin
Saturation
Factors Altering Haemoglobin
Saturation (Exercise)
 Factors Affecting Haemoglobin
Saturation
Blood acidity
Blood temperature
Carbon Dioxide concentration
2, 3 DPG (diphosphoglycerate)
Respiratory Response to Exercise

Factors affecting Disassociation

BLOOD TEMPERATURE
increased blood temperature
reduces haemoglobin affinity for O2
hence more O2 is delivered to warmed-
up tissue

BLOOD Ph
lowering of blood pH (making blood
more acidic)
caused by presence of H+ ions from
lactic acid or carbonic acid
reduces affinity of Hb for O2
and more O2 is delivered to acidic
sites which are working harder
CARBON DIOXIDE CONCENTRATION
the higher CO2 concentration in
tissue
the less the affinity of Hb for O2
so the harder the tissue is working,
the more O2 is released
2, 3 DPG (DI-PHOSPHOGLYCERATE)

A substance made in the red blood cells

Controls the movement of oxygen from
red blood cells to body tissues
The more 2, 3 DPG in the cell, the more
oxygen is delivered to the body tissues
Increasing amount of 2, 3 DPG is the
bodys primary way of responding to a lack
of oxygen
 Key Point
Increased temperature and hydrogen ion
(H+) (pH) concentration in exercising
muscle affect the oxygen dissociation
curve, allowing more oxygen to be
uploaded to supply the active muscles.
 UPTAKE OF OXYGEN BY THE PULMONARY
BLOOD

The PO2 of gaseos oxygen in the alveoli

averages 104 mmHg while the average PO2 in
the venous blood entering the capillary blood is
40 mmHg

Therefore, the initial pressure difference that

causes the diffusion of oxygen to the pulmonary
capillary is 64 mmHg (104-40)
 ALVEOLUS: PO2=104 mmHg

PULMONARY CAPILLARY

PO2= 40mmHg PO2= 104mmHg

 UPTAKE OF OXYGEN BY THE PULMONARY
BLOOD DURING EXERCISE

The diffusing capacity for oxygen increases

almost threefold during exercise
Increased surface area for capillaries
participating in diffusion
Ideal ventilation/perfusion ratio
During normal pulmonary blood flow, blood
becomes almost saturated with oxygen by
the time it has passed through 1/3 of the
pulmonary capillaryfull after 2/3 of transit
 UPTAKE OF OXYGEN BY THE PULMONARY
BLOOD DURING EXERCISE

Thus, in exercise, even with the shortened time

of exposure in the capillaries, the blood still can
become fully oxygenated