• Congratulations to the Class of 2024 on your results!
    Let us know how you went here
    Got a question about your uni preferences? Ask us here

Transport of Carbon Dioxide in Mammals (1 Viewer)

superSAIyan2

Member
Joined
Apr 18, 2012
Messages
320
Gender
Male
HSC
2013
Well CO2 is transported in three ways right- as carbaminohaemoglobin, hydrogen carbonate ions or dissolved in plasma.


When i was reading my textbook it said minimal CO2 is dissolved in plasma to prevent excess H2C03 as this increases acidity of blood. But C02 is dissolved in water in the RBCs to form carbonic acid which is then converted into hydrogen carbonate ions and hydrogen ions. So do only HC03- ions get transported back into the blood plasma for transport around the body and the H+ ions remain in the RBC to prevent increasing acidity of the blood?

Is that right? Can someone please clarify for me?

Thanks
 

Spiritual Being

hehehehehe
Joined
Jan 10, 2012
Messages
3,054
Location
Sydney, Australia
Gender
Male
HSC
2013
Uni Grad
2018
CARBON DIOXIDE:
• It is produced as a waste product of respiration in body cells and occurs in high concentrations. It is known to diffuse into the bloodstream from body cells and is carried in 3 ways After entering the bloodstream it may:
1. Be converted into carbonic acid and then changed into hydrogen carbonate ions. This change from carbon dioxide to carbonate ions happens on the red blood cells through the enzyme carbonic annhydrase. The ions are transported dissolved in the plasma (only 70% of the carbon dioxide).
2. 23% of CO2 binds to haemoglobin and forms carbaminohaemoglobin
3. 7% is dissolved directly in the plasma
 

superSAIyan2

Member
Joined
Apr 18, 2012
Messages
320
Gender
Male
HSC
2013
Thanks for the help. So in onetype of transport C02 is directly dissolved in plasma (to form HCO3- and H+) whereas in another type of transport it is in the bloodstream as only HCO3-
 

Aysce

Well-Known Member
Joined
Jun 24, 2011
Messages
2,394
Gender
Male
HSC
2012
Thanks for the help. So in onetype of transport C02 is directly dissolved in plasma (to form HCO3- and H+) whereas in another type of transport it is in the bloodstream as only HCO3-
The first part was correct but what you're saying here, I don't think is correct. It's either dissolved in the plasma to form HCO3- then H+ or attached to haemoglobin as carbaminohaemoglobin as mentioned by Spiritual being.
 

Users Who Are Viewing This Thread (Users: 0, Guests: 1)

Top