Answer to Question #134009 in Human Anatomy and Physiology for Ruby

Question

Oxyhaemoglobin and Oxymyoglobin are placed at PO2 100 mm of Hg , which will lose O2 first?

Answer 1

Oxyhemoglobin will lose O₂ first as hemoglobin is a tetramer containing 4 subunits of protein each binding O₂ coperatively thus having a sigmoidal oxygenbinding curve compared to myoglobin a monomer with a high affinity for oxygen and binds more tightly forming a hyperbolic oxygenbinding curve.

In terms of transportation myoglobin transports O₂ to the muscles under higher exertion compared to hemoglobin transporting O₂ to the blood.