Question

Distinguish between Bohr effect and chloride shift as they pertain to gas transport.

Answer 1

Bohr effect refers to the loss of affinity of hemoglobin to the oxygen as the pH in the blood increases. So there will a right shift to the hemoglobin saturation curve. As the PH increases there will be more Carbon-dioxide in blood and the oxygen can't bind to hemoglobin like the normal condition so the affinity decreases. Because hemoglobin is more good to bind with Carbon-dioxide than oxygen.

Chloride shift occurs to balance the charge in the erythrocytes. When more Carbon-dioxide binds to the hemoglobin as a buffer mechanism CO2 combines with H2O to form H2CO3 and which dissociates to h+ and HCO3-. This HCO3- moves out of red blood cell to the plasma. So as these will be a charge difference inorder to compensate that chloride enters into the redblood cell. Thus the charge difference is maintained and the transport of Carbon-dioxide out of the tissues to the lungs through blood is made possible