nick5442
nick5442
15.02.2021 • 
Chemistry

The crocodile which can remain underwater without breathing for up to an hour, drowns it air-breathing prey and then dines on them at its leisure. An adaptation that aids the crocodile in doing so is that it can utilize virtually 100% of the O2 in its blood whereas humans, for example, can extract only -65% of the O2 in their blood. (a) Draw an O2 binding curve comparing crocodile hemoglobin to that of normal hemoglobin. humne ih (b) Experiments have demonstrated that 2,3 bis-phosphoglycerate has no effect on the O2 binding of crocodile hemoglobin. However, it has been shown that 2 molecules of bicarbonate bind to deoxyhemoglobin tetramers but not to oxyhemoglobin tetramers of crocodile hemoglobin. Describe how bicarbonate might effect the O2 affinity of crocodile hemoglobin. Make sure to detail what regions of the hemoglobin tetramek might be bound by bicarbonate and how this would influence structural changes in the crocodile hemoglobin that would, in turn, affect O2 affinity. (c) Sketch the biochemical reactions in red blood cells that result in bicarbonate formation in venous blood. Write balanced equations and identify any enzymes that might be involved. If an enzyme is required, indicate which reaction is enzyme-catalyzed.

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