Home > Anatomy & Physiology > Organization of the Human Body

Is oxygen carried through the blood stream dissolved in plasma? Is it carried on receptors on the red blood cell membrane?

Answer 1

No, and no to your 2 questions

(In actuality, the following is accurate for exam purposes, but there will be trace amounts of oxygen carried dissolved in the plasma.)

The main mechanism by which oxygen is transported throughout the body is via haemoglobin molecules (also known as oxyhaemoglobin) found inside red blood cells; these molecules dissociate readily in high concentrations of CO2, allowing oxygen to be released from the red blood cells, particularly in tissues that are actively respiring.

By signing up, you agree to our Terms of Service and Privacy Policy

Answer 2

Lucas Aguilar

Yes, oxygen is carried through the bloodstream both dissolved in plasma and bound to hemoglobin molecules within red blood cells. Oxygen binds to hemoglobin in a reversible manner, forming oxyhemoglobin. Additionally, a small portion of oxygen is carried dissolved in the plasma.

By signing up, you agree to our Terms of Service and Privacy Policy

Answer from HIX Tutor

When evaluating a one-sided limit, you need to be careful when a quantity is approaching zero since its sign is different depending on which way it is approaching zero from. Let us look at some examples.