Bioquímica en la vida diaria: el equilibrio químico y la función transportadora de la hemoglobina Biochemistry Applied to Everyday Life: Chemical Equilibrium and the Transporting Function of the Hemoglobin

The hemoglobin is a blood protein which can transport oxygen, a gas insoluble in water, to different organs where it is required for the pro- per function; this protein also transports the metabolic products, CO 2 and H + for their excretion. This process depends on pH, the BPG concentration, pO 2 and pCO 2 . The cooperative binding between hemoglobin and those com- pounds and the conformational changes nece- ssary for oxygen and CO 2 uptake and release in the specific place where they are required. A- brupt changes of atmospheric pressure associated with height and the exposure to other gases such as CO present in vehicles and closed rooms could compromise the normal functioning of the organism because their presence affects the transport function of the hemoglobin. In this paper, we will explain everyday phenomena related to the transport of gases through hemo- globin as a demonstration that a knowledge of biochemistry begins to be useful from now on