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View Full Version : Oxyhaemaglobin V CO2


matthyaouw
Sep29-04, 09:01 AM
Hey. This probably seems like a bit of an odd question, but which do you suppose would weigh more? Blood with a somewhat average saturation or oxygen (like that which would be found in a healthy individual), or blood completely devoid of oxygen & saturated with carbon dioxide (as in if something were to die, and cease taking in oxygen)?

Terribly sorry, I meant to put this in Biology. Silly me.

chem_tr
Sep29-04, 09:33 AM
Hello, I think carboxyhaemoglobin weighs more than oxyhaemoglobin, since CO2 is 44 amu (atomic mass unit) whereas O2 is only 32 amu. Remember that there are four protoporphyrins in a haemoglobin molecule, but the result won't change. But binding constants are very different, to the advantage of oxygen.

regards, chem_tr