Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jul 14, 2026

T-wave Ion Mobility-mass Spectrometry: Basic Experimental Procedures for Protein Complex Analysis
Published on: July 31, 2010
Configuration of the hemoglobin oxygen dissociation curve demystified: a basic mathematical proof for medical and
1Department of Endocrinology, Division of Medicine, Tan Tock Seng Hospital, and Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, Singapore. mleowsj@massmed.org
Abstract:
The oxygen dissociation curve (ODC) of hemoglobin (Hb) has been widely studied and mathematically described for nearly a century. Numerous mathematical models have been designed to predict with ever-increasing accuracy the behavior of oxygen transport by Hb in differing conditions of pH, carbon dioxide, temperature, Hb levels, and 2,3-diphosphoglycerate concentrations that enable their applications in various clinical situations. The modeling techniques employed in many existing models are notably borrowed from advanced and highly sophisticated mathematics that are likely to surpass the comprehensibility of many medical and bioscience students due to the high level of "mathematical maturity" required. It is, however, a worthy teaching point in physiology lectures to illustrate in simple mathematics the fundamental reason for the crucial sigmoidal configuration of the ODC such that the medical and bioscience undergraduates can readily appreciate it, which is the objective of this basic dissertation.
Related Concept Videos
Oxygen Transport in the Blood
Hemoglobin
When all four heme groups are bound to oxygen, the resulting molecule is called oxyhemoglobin. As a result, arterial blood...
Protein and Protein Structure
A protein's shape is critical to its function. For example, an enzyme can...
Henderson-Hasselbalch Equation
Gene Families
Occasionally these regions can be adapted to take on new roles within the organism, becoming novel genes...
Respiration and Gaseous Exchange
Respiration involves the exchange of gases, especially oxygen (O2) and carbon dioxide (CO2), between the alveoli and body cells, a process facilitated by blood circulation. As a result, the cardiovascular system, which involves the...

