Transport in Animals Flashcards
(119 cards)
composition of blood
Human blood is made up of cells, plasma and fragments of cells (platelets).
Plasma is 90% water and has 10% solutes and plasma proteins.
cellular components in the blood
erythrocyte (red blood cells), as well as leucocytes (white blood cells)
properties of the erythrocytes
biconcave
thin cell surface membrane
no nucleus
contains carbonic anhydrase
no mitochondria
relatively small
how are red blood cells adapted for transport?
large surface area over which gases can diffuse (biconcave and thin membrane)
more space in the cytoplasm to contain 250 million haemoglobin molecules (no nucleus)
carbonic anhydrase enzyme to transport CO2
contains ATP by carrying out respiration so no oxygen is used up during transport to the tissues
types of leucocytes
granulocytes
agranulocytes
what is the difference between granulocytes and agranulocytes?
Granulocytes- have granular cytoplasm and the nucleus is lobed. They include eosinophils, neutrophils, and basophils.
Agranulocytes- do not contain any granules in the cytoplasm and can have a spherical/ bean shaped nucleus. They include the lymphocytes and monocytes with an irregular lobed nucleus.
shapes of the nucleus in different white blood cells
Neutrophils- irregularly lobed nucleus
Esinophils- bi-lobed nucleus
Basophils- s-shaped nucleus
Lymphocytes- large round nucleus
Monocytes- bean-shaped nucleus
types of lymphocytes
B cells
T cells
Which white blood cell produces antihistamine to counteract histamine?
esinophils
which white blood cell produces histamine and heparin?
basophils
what is the role of heparin?
heparin is an anticoagulant used to prevent the clotting of blood
reaction to show the role of haemoglobin in transporting oxygen
Hb + 4O2 → Hb(O2)4 (oxyhaemoglobin)
how is the haemoglobin molecule adapted to bind with oxygen faster?
the first oxygen molecule enters the red blood cells and binds with the haemoglobin, altering the shape of the molecule so that the 2nd oxygen molecule will bind more readily.
This causes a further change in shape of the haemoglobin so that the 3rd oxygen molecule will bind even faster and this is followed by the 4th oxygen molecule which binds the fastest.
in what conditions does haemoglobin combine readily with oxygen?
when oxygen concentrations are high because it has a high affinity for oxygen in those conditions
in what conditions would haemoglobin easily dissociate with oxygen?
it easily releases oxygen or dissociates when oxygen concentrations are low because it has a lower affinity for oxygen at lower oxygen concentrations.
what is undergone when haemoglobin binds with oxygen?
cooperative binding or allostery
what is the partial pressure of a gas?
The partial pressure of a gas refers to the pressure exerted by that gas in a mixture containing it.
units for partial pressure
mmHg or kPa
what is obtained when haemoglobin’s percentage saturation is plotted against partial pressure of oxygen?
an S-shaped oxygen dissociation curve is obtained
what does the S-shaped oxygen dissociation curve illustrate?
it shows the unloading, binding and dissociation of oxygen from haemoglobin
why is the oxygen dissociation curve not a straight line?
the affinity of haemoglobin for oxygen does not increase in a directly proportional manner with an increase in partial pressure of oxygen
why is the oxygen dissociation curve S shaped and not linear?
The affinity of haemoglobin for oxygen differs at low and high partial pressures of oxygen.
at lower partial pressures of oxygen, what is haemoglobin’s affinity for oxygen?
it has a lower affinity for oxygen, making it more likely to release oxygen
where are the conditions of low partial pressure of oxygen typically found?
in respiring tissues, where oxygen is being used up in respiration