What does the sigmoid curve in the oxygen dissociation graph denote and what is the use of plotting it ?
Dear student
The oxygen dissociation curve is a graph showing the percentage saturation of oxyhaemoglobin at various partial pressures of oxygen.
The curve shows the equilibrium of oxyhaemoglobin and haemoglobin at various partial pressures.
In the lungs, the partial pressure of oxygen is high. Hence, haemoglobin binds to oxygen and forms oxyhaemoglobin.
Tissues have a low oxygen concentration. Therefore, at the tissues, oxyhaemoglobin releases oxygen to form haemoglobin.
The sigmoid shape of the dissociation curve is because of the binding of oxygen to haemoglobin. As the first oxygen molecule binds to haemoglobin, it increases the affinity for the second molecule of oxygen to bind. Subsequently, haemoglobin attracts more oxygen.
It's important to plot such graph as the oxygen dissociation curve plots the % saturation against the partial pressure of oxygen, and its contribution to the total oxygen content.
Regards
Dear student
The oxygen dissociation curve is a graph showing the percentage saturation of oxyhaemoglobin at various partial pressures of oxygen.
The curve shows the equilibrium of oxyhaemoglobin and haemoglobin at various partial pressures.
In the lungs, the partial pressure of oxygen is high. Hence, haemoglobin binds to oxygen and forms oxyhaemoglobin.
Tissues have a low oxygen concentration. Therefore, at the tissues, oxyhaemoglobin releases oxygen to form haemoglobin.
The sigmoid shape of the dissociation curve is because of the binding of oxygen to haemoglobin. As the first oxygen molecule binds to haemoglobin, it increases the affinity for the second molecule of oxygen to bind. Subsequently, haemoglobin attracts more oxygen.
It's important to plot such graph as the oxygen dissociation curve plots the % saturation against the partial pressure of oxygen, and its contribution to the total oxygen content.
Regards
