Course: BIPN 102

TA: Irfan Haider

Section: Tue 6PM at Center 207

Worksheet 4

Email: ihaider@ucsd.edu
OH: Tue & Thur 9:30-10:45 AM
at PC Theater Lobby

1. List 4 different factors that increase oxygen dissociation from hemoglobin and 2
different factors that decrease it.
Increase dissociation: higher temp, higher PCO2, lower pH, higher 2,3-DPG
Decrease: Opposite of above 4 factors, fetal hemoglobin, CO

Note: increase in oxygen disassociation = decrease in Hbs affinity for oxygen

2. On a sample Hb-O2 disassociation curve:

a. Draw a normal Hb-O2 dissociation curve. Mark the correct saturation
percentages at PO2 = 40 and 100mmHg. Label this curve NORMAL.
b. Draw an Hb-O2 dissociation curve which illustrates the effect of increased
proton concentrations in the blood. Label this curve pH.
c. Draw an Hb-O2 dissociation curve after Carbon Monoxide poisoning which
saturates hemoglobin at 50%. Label this curve CO.
d. Draw an Hb-O2 dissociation curve after knockdown of the gene encoding the
enzyme 1,3 DPG isomerase. Label this curve 2,3 DPG.
e. How will sickle cell anemia affect Hbs affinity for O2? Which curve will it
look like on the graph?

Sickle cell anemia will not affect hemoglobins affinity for O2 (it will decrease the
total number of normal RBC and hemoglobin units, and therefore will decrease the
Worksheet 4

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Course: BIPN 102

TA: Irfan Haider
Section: Tue 6PM at Center 207

Email: ihaider@ucsd.edu
OH: Tue & Thur 9:30-10:45 AM
at PC Theater Lobby

total oxygen carrying capacity of hemoglobin but wont affect a hemoglobins

affinity for O2).

Note for (c): if the Carbon Monoxide poisoning saturated hemoglobin at 60%, then
then the Hb-O2 saturation curve would only go upto the 40% mark on the graph
above. This is because this graph is for O2 saturation, not CO saturation. If CO
saturation at at 60%, then O2 saturation must be 100% - 60% = 40% at max.

3. a. Where is the bicarbonate concentration in the blood highest, systemic arteries or

veins?
Systemic veins because there is more CO2 to be converted to bicarbonate on the
venous side.

b. Where is the chloride concentration in the blood highest, pulmonary arteries or

veins?
Pulmonary veins because this blood has less CO2 than the arterial side, leading to
less bicarbonate production and therefore more chloride in the plasma.
c. Where does carbonic anhydrase work, in the RBC, in the plasma, or both?
In the RBC.

4. The drug acetazolamide inhibits carbonic anhydrase. If one were to give this drug to
a person, so that the rate of the carbonic anhydrase reaction would be slowed down
from microseconds to several seconds, predict what would happen to the following
parameters of blood in a pulmonary vein (increase, decrease, or no change)
compared with the normal state. Justify your predictions.
Plasma [ HCO3 ]: Increased, because intracellular HCO3 would build up because of
the slow carbonic anhydrase reaction, decreasing the concentration gradient and
thus decreasing net uptake from the plasma. (Also, less CO2 would have left the
blood in the pulmonary capillaries.)
Plasma [ Cl ]: Decreased, because less Cl would leave the cells in exchange for
HCO3 owing to the decreased uptake of HCO3

Some practice questions for Midterm 1:

Worksheet 4

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Course: BIPN 102

TA: Irfan Haider
Section: Tue 6PM at Center 207

Email: ihaider@ucsd.edu
OH: Tue & Thur 9:30-10:45 AM
at PC Theater Lobby

1. Amy and Lily, normal young twin sisters, during a brisk walk, increase their total
minute ventilation to 15 L/min. Amy takes a breath every 3 seconds, Lily breathes
every 5 seconds.
a. Calculate their alveolar ventilations, assuming they have the same size lungs
and airways.
Frequency Amy = 60/3=20 Breaths/min
Frequency Lily = 60/5= 12 Breaths/min

Vtotal = Vtidal *Frequency

Amy: 15000 = Vtidal * 20 Vtidal = 750 ml
Lily: 15000 = Vtidal * 12 Vtidal = 1250 ml
VA = (Vtidal - Vdead) * frequency.
Amy: (750 - 150)*20= 12000 ml
Lily: (1250 - 150) * 12 = 13200 ml

b. Will Amy and Lily have different values of alveolar PO2 and PCO2? If no,
explain why; if yes, indicate which and how the values differed (increase or
decrease).

Amy and Lilys alveolar PO2 and PCO2 is different from their normal levels.
Furthermore, Lily will have different alveolar PO2 and PCO2 than Amy. Lily
will have higher PAO2 and lower PACO2 (compared to Amy) due to increased
alveolar ventilation.

2. A patient comes to your office with the following lab data:

Vtidal = 500 ml
FRC = 2300 ml
Vital capacity = 3900 ml
Residual volume = 1200 ml
Alveolar PO2 = 100 mm Hg
Arterial PO2 = 80 mm Hg

a. What values are abnormal in this patient, if any?

Abnormal: VC is lower than normal (3.9L vs. 4.6)

Arterial PO2 is low

Worksheet 4

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Course: BIPN 102

TA: Irfan Haider
Section: Tue 6PM at Center 207

Email: ihaider@ucsd.edu
OH: Tue & Thur 9:30-10:45 AM
at PC Theater Lobby

b. What is the most probable diagnosis, if the patient is not normal? Why?

Diagnosis: Restrictive disease (most probably pulmonary fibrosis) because:

i. Decreased IRV (how do you know that? How do you know its not
decreased ERV? What is FRC? What is VC?)
ii. Increased thickness at alveoli explains low arterial PO2.

c. Write Ficks equation for the flux of gas. Which of the terms in the equation do
you expect to change, if any, based on the diagnosis you made above?
Ficks Eq: Increased thickness decreases flux.

Worksheet 4

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