0

HETAV PATEL

Grade 11,

Courses New

Why binding affinity of haemoglobin decreases as we move to high altitude?

Why binding affinity of haemoglobin decreases as we move to high altitude?

Grade:12

4 Answers

Umakant biswal
5349 Points
7 years ago
when the diffrence between the partial pressure of oxygen between the tissue and blood are low , then oxygen will not be transported to the tissue , from blood , leading to hypoxia . 
haemoglobin  carries oxygen in the blood. ... This is because blood contains haemoglobin – a specialised protein that binds to oxygen in the lungs so that the oxygen can be transported to the rest of the body. The amount of haemoglobin in blood increases at high altitude.
jyoti bhatia
202 Points
7 years ago
Oxygen in inhaled air diffuses into the blood in lungs. Blood has a massive capacity to dissolve oxygen – much more oxygen can dissolve in blood than could dissolve in same amount of water. This is because blood contains haemoglobin – a specialized protein that binds to oxygen in lungs so that the oxygen can be transported to rest of the body.
Amount of haemoglobin in blood increases at high altitude. This is one of the best-known features of acclimatization (acclimation) to high altitude. Increasing the amount of haemoglobin in the blood increases amount of oxygen that can be carried. However, there is a downside: when there is too much haemoglobin, blood becomes sticky and viscous and it is harder for the heart to pump blood around the body. This happens in chronic mountain sickness.
Haemoglobin consists of four subunits joined together. When an oxygen molecule binds to one subunit, other subunits become more likely to bind oxygen. This feature of haemoglobin gives the haemoglobin saturation curve its characteristic S shape. The curve shifts a little in some conditions like on ascent to high altitude. This is important because a shift to right indicates that oxygen is bound less tightly, so that less is taken up in lungs but it is easily released in the tissues.
 
 
 
Kartik
20 Points
7 years ago
There is no effect on affinity of haemoglobin at all, only change occurs is in the concentration of Oxygen molecules in the air on high altitudes. And as the concentration decreases the pressure difference of Oxygen decreases so to cope up with this more haemoglobin is produced. And that`s called Altitude Sickness.
Shivam jha
105 Points
6 years ago
At higher level due less amount of concentration of O2 less is the partial pressure inside lungs so it is not easy to intake of oxygen and causes hipoxic hipoxic.

Think You Can Provide A Better Answer ?

Other Related Questions on Zoology

View all Questions »

ASK QUESTION

Get your questions answered by the expert for free

Answer and earn gift vouchers

Win Gift vouchers upto Rs 500/-

View courses by askIITians

Design classes One-on-One in your own way with Top IITians/Medical Professionals

Click Here Know More

Complete Self Study Package designed by Industry Leading Experts

Click Here Know More

Live 1-1 coding classes to unleash the Creator in your Child

Click Here Know More

a Complete All-in-One Study package Fully Loaded inside a Tablet!

Click Here Know More