When you exercise your muscles demand more oxygen and must g

When you exercise, your muscles demand more oxygen and must get rid of more carbon dioxide. The increased delivery of oxygen and removal of carbon dioxide is driven by the Bohr shift/effect. Explain what the Bohr shift/effect is and what physiologic change takes place in the muscle to allow for our bodies to utilize the Bohr shift/effect. (Use the back of page if more space is needed)

Solution

Answer:

The Bohr effect is a physiological phenomenon where increases in the carbon dioxide partial pressure of blood or decreases in blood pH result in a lower affinity of hemoglobin for oxygen and yields enhanced unloading of oxygen by hemoglobin. It increases the efficiency of oxygen transportation through the blood.

The Bohr effect enhances oxygen delivery proportionally to the metabolic activity of the tissues such as exercising skeletal muscle. Increased skeletal muscle activity results in localized increases in the partial pressure of carbon dioxide in blood. When carbon dioxide is produced, it reacts with water to form bicarbonate and hydrogen ions. Hydrogen ions produced causes a reduction in pH, subsequent decrease in pH reduce the affinity of hemoglobin for oxygen and it release more oxygen than it normally would. Thus the Bohr effect enables the body to adapt to changing conditions and makes it possible to supply extra oxygen to tissues that need it the most.