OXYGEN CARRIED IN BLOOD WHEN PERSON IS AT HIGH ALTITUDE-TUTORIAL PHYSIOLOGY
Oxygen Uptake in the Lungs is Increased About 70X by Hemoglobin in the Red Cells
- In the lungs oxygen must enter the blood
- A small amount of oxygen dissolves directly in the serum, but 98.5% of the oxygen is carried by hemoglobin
- All of the hemoglobin is found within the red blood cells (RBCs or erythrocytes)
- The hemoglobin content of the blood is about 15 gm/deciliter (deciliter = 100 mL)
- Red cell count is about 5 million per microliter
Each Hemoglobin Can Bind Four O2 Molecules (100% Saturation)