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Question 39 of 44

Q.What is Haldane effect?

Tamil Nadu DgeTamil Nadu HSC First Year (DGE) Board 2024Subjective· 3mImportance★★★★★
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The Haldane effect describes how the oxygenation state of haemoglobin affects its ability to carry carbon dioxide — deoxyhaemoglobin binds CO2 more readily than oxyhaemoglobin.

As oxygen is released from oxyhaemoglobin at the tissues (where oxygen is being consumed by respiring cells), the resulting deoxyhaemoglobin has a greater affinity for carbon dioxide and hydrogen ions than oxyhaemoglobin does. This means deoxygenated blood can pick up and carry more CO2 (partly as carbaminohaemoglobin, and partly by buffering H+ ions produced from carbonic acid dissociation, which in turn favours more CO2 being converted to bicarbonate in the blood).

Conversely, in the lungs, as haemoglobin binds oxygen (becoming oxyhaemoglobin), its affinity for CO2 and H+ decreases, which helps release/unload the CO2 that was being carried, so it can diffuse out into the alveoli and be exhaled.

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