Abstract

ECHEVERRIA PALACIO, Carlos Mario; RAMIREZ GRUESO, Raúl; COBA TORRES, Kelly  and  ROJAS, María Orfa. Biochemistry Applied to Everyday Life: Chemical Equilibrium and the Transporting Function of the Hemoglobin. Rev. Cienc. Salud [online]. 2006, vol.4, suppl.1, pp.109-115. ISSN 1692-7273.

The hemoglobin is a blood protein which can transport oxygen, a gas insoluble in water, to different organs where it is required for the proper function; this protein also transports the metabolic products, CO₂ and H⁺ for their excretion. This process depends on pH, the BPG concentration, pO₂ and pCO₂. The cooperative binding between hemoglobin and those compounds and the conformational changes necessary for oxygen and CO₂ uptake and release in the specific place where they are required. Abrupt changes of atmospheric pressure associated with height and the exposure to other gases such as CO present in vehicles and closed rooms could compromise the normal functioning of the organism because their presence affects the transport function of the hemoglobin. In this paper, we will explain everyday phenomena related to the transport of gases through hemoglobin as a demonstration that a knowledge of biochemistry begins to be useful from now on to understand everyday situations and give us an expectation of their value to comprehend many health problems that would be faced in the future.

Keywords : O₂ transport; CO₂ transport; acidbases balance; Structure and function of hemoglobin; gas transport.