Help with Respiratory Proteins and Hormones - Anatomy

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Question

Which of the following stabilizes the deoxygenated form of hemoglobin?

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Answer

Hemoglobin's primary function is to transport oxygen from the lungs to the myoglobin in the tissues that need oxygen. Oxygen is required for aerobic cellular respiration, so the tissues that have high metabolisms require the most oxygen. The byproducts of metabolic processes include acid, heat, carbon dioxide, and 2,3-bisphosphoglycerate (BPG). It should make sense that the byproducts of metabolism (evidence that oxygen is being used) influence hemoglobin to drop off its oxygen. Remember, if we stabilize the deoxygenated form of hemoglobin, it is less reluctant to drop off its oxygen since the oxygenated form of hemoglobin is always more stable than deoxygenated.

For your reference, 2,3-BPG is an isomer of a glycolytic intermediate that sits in the central cavity of hemoglobin. 2,3-BPG carries a large negative charge, and interacts with the basic (positive) amino acid side chains facing the central cavity of the molecule. When positives and negatives are close together, the molecule is stable.

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