Written by Merel Dagher (PEACE Advisor)
Which has a more acidic environment – the lungs or tissues? Why?
a. lungs – so Hb can bind O2 more readily
b. lungs – so Hb can release O2 more readily
c. tissues – so Hb can bind O2 more readily
d. tissues – so Hb can release O2 more readily
a. lungs – so Hb can bind O2 more readily
b. lungs – so Hb can release O2 more readily
c. tissues – so Hb can bind O2 more readily
d. tissues – so Hb can release O2 more readily
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The correct answer is d. Hb’s job is to carry O2 through the bloodstream, and it picks up this oxygen from the lungs. It has to release O2 to at the tissues. Hb can bind oxygen more readily in its R-state. Having a higher pH allows this because (reference the previous question for a more thorough explanation) an increase in H+ ions shifts Hb from its R-state to its T-state. The tissues want a lower pH so Hb will release the O2.