O2 transport

Oxygen can move from one point to another by diffusion due to pressure difference from high
pressure to low pressure.
Diffusion of O2 (O2- cascade):
PO2 in dry atmospheric air is 159 mm Hg. Once this air enters the respiratory passages it is
humidified with water vapour, PO2 drops to 150 mm Hg. Alveolar PO2 is 100 mm Hg. In pulmonary
capillaries PO2 is 100 mm Hg while in systemic capillaries it drops to 95 mm Hg (due to physiological
shunts). When blood reaches the peripheral tissues, its PO2 in the arterial side of capillaries is still
95mm Hg. The PO2 in the interstitial fluid that surround the tissue cells is about 40mm Hg. Oxygen
diffuses rapidly from the blood to the interstitial fluid (due to pressure difference) until pressure is
equalized .Therefore, in venous blood P O2 equals 40 mm Hg. O2 is always used by the cells therefore
the intracellular PO2 remains lower than PO2 in capillaries. It ranges between 5 and 40 mm Hg
(average about 23 mm Hg) depending on the activity of the cell. The drop in P O2 during its transport
from atmosphere to peripheral tissue cells is called O2- cascade.
O2 Transport by blood
O2 is transported from the lungs to the tissues in 2 forms:
I-In physical solution (dissolved O2):
About 3% of total O2 in the blood. This small amount is very important because it is responsible for O 2
tension or partial pressure in the blood which in turn determines
 Direction and rate of flow of O2.
 Amount of O2 in chemical combination with Hb .
II- Oxygen in chemical combination:-
About 97 % of O2 is bound to Hb of RBC in chemical combination. Normally it is about 20 ml O2 /dl of
arterial blood. It is essential for supplying adequate O2 to the tissues during rest and exercise.
Co-operativity:
It is a characteristic of Hb by which the binding of Hb with one O 2 molecule facilitates the uptake of
the next one, and so on until Hb is fully oxygenated.
O2 content of the blood:
It is the amount of O2 present in 100 ml of blood in chemical combination with Hb. It depends on Hb
concentration and O2 tension. It is decreased in anemia (decreased Hb concentration) and hypoxic
hypoxia (decreased PO2 in arterial blood).
O2 carrying capacity of the blood:
It is the maximal amount of O2 present in 100 ml of blood in chemical combination with Hb, when
hemoglobin is fully saturated with O2.
One gram Hb can combine with 1.34 ml O2. The total amount of Hb in the blood is about 15 g /dl.
Then, the amount of O2 combined in 100ml blood when Hb is fully saturated equals
15 X 1.34 = 20ml /100ml.
% saturation of Hb with O2:
The % saturation with O2 is calculated as follows:
O2 content X 100
O2 capacity
The combination of Hb with O2 occurs gradually in 4 steps as follow:
Hb4 + O2 → Hb4O2 (25%) saturation
Hb4O2+ O2 → Hb4O4 (50%) saturation
Hb4O4+ O2 → Hb4O6 (75%) saturation
Hb4O6+ O2 → Hb4O8 (100%) saturation
The proportion of Hb combined with O2 depends on PO2 irrespective of the amount of Hb present. At
PO2 100 mm Hg the percentage saturation of Hb is 100%.

1
O2-Hb dissociation curve The relation between oxygen pressure and the % saturation of Hb
with O2 is not linear, it is S-shaped or sigmoid in nature. This is explained by O2-Hb dissociation
curve.

O2- Hemoglobin dissociation curve.

Physiological analysis of the curve:
1. The flat upper part represents zone of Hb saturation with O2. It occurs when O2 tension or
pressure is between 100-60 mm Hg. This is called loading zone or association zone; where the
affinity of Hb to combine with O2 is high. It represents the lung side. Changes in PO2 within the
range of 100-60mm Hg, have little effect on % saturation of Hb with O 2. It drops from 100% to 90%
.In systemic arterial blood % saturation of Hb with O 2 is about 97.5% and O2 content is about 19.4
ml /dl (PO2 =95 mm Hg due to physiological shunts).
2. The steep lower part of the curve occurs when O2 tension decreases below 60mm Hg, the %
saturation of Hb with O2 decreases rapidly (low affinity). It is called unloading zone or
dissociation zone and represents the tissue side.
 At PO2 40 mm Hg (tissues in resting condition), the % saturation of Hb is 75% and O2 content is
14.4 ml /dl. About 25 % of O2 is given rapidly to the tissues when the pressure decreases from
95 to 40 mm Hg .It equals 5ml O2/dl (19.4 -14.4 = 5 ml O2/dl) or (250 ml/min in the whole blood).
 At PO2 20mm Hg (during muscular exercise) Hb % saturation becomes 35 % and O2 content 6
ml /100 ml i.e. the blood gives the majority of its O2 to the tissues.
P50: It is the value of oxygen pressure at which the Hb is 50% saturated with O 2. It equals 26.5 mm
Hg when % saturation is 50%, O2 content= 10.1ml, temperature= 37ºC and pH = 7.4. (Figure 42)

50

2
Importance of P50:
It is determines the position of O2 dissociation curve, whether normal, shifted to the right or to the left.
If P50 is decreased: Hb affinity to O2 is high, there is shift of the curve to the left and less O2 is
delivered to the tissues.
If P50 is increased: Hb affinity to O2 is low which means shift of the curve to the right, and more O 2 is
delivered to the tissues.
Factors affecting the affinity of Hb to oxygen, or affecting the oxygen Hb-dissociation curve.
Shift of the curve to the right Shift of the curve to the left
More O2 is given to the tissues Less O2 is given to the tissues
(decreased affinity) (increased affinity)
+
1. Increase H (acidity). 1. Decrease H+ (alkalosis).
2. Increase PCO2 (Bohr Effect). 2. Decrease arterial PCO2.
3. Increas2-3diphosphoglycerate. 3. Decrease temperature.
4. Increase temperature. 4. Decrease 2-3 DPG.
5. Carbon monoxide poisoning.
6. Fetal Hb.
 The P50 is increased during exercise, because the temperature rises in active tissues and CO 2 and
metabolites accumulate, lowering the pH. In addition, much more O 2 is removed from each unit of
blood flowing through active tissues because the tissues’ PO2 declines.
2-3 Diphosphoglycerate (2-3 DPG)
In anaerobic glycolysis RBCs produce 2-3 DPG in high concentration. It binds to β-chain of
deoxygenated hemoglobin causing the release of O2 from Hb. Therefore, when 2-3 DPG
increases in the RBC, the affinity of Hb to O2 decreases and the O2-Hb dissociation curve is
shifted to the right. On the other hand when it decreases, the affinity of Hb to O2 increases and
O2 – Hb dissociation curve is shifted to the left.
Factors that increase 2- 3 DPG synthesis:
1. Chronic hypoxia (lung diseases).
2. High altitude (PO2 is low).
3. Hormones as: thyroid hormones, growth hormone and androgens.
4. During muscular exercise 2-3 DPG formation is increased within one hour (especially in
non-athletes).
5. Anemia.
Factors that decrease 2-3 DPG synthesis:
1. Acidosis, because acidosis inhibits RBCs glycolysis.
2. Storing blood for long time (as in blood banks). This decrease limits the benefit of the
blood if it is transfused to hypoxic patient.