Watch this video (http://openstaxcollege.org/I/ oxyblood) to...

Name: Problem 3, Chapter 22: Anatomy & Physiology
Uploaded: 2021-08-21T02:02:05-08:00
Duration: 1 min 37 s
Channel: Joanna Quigley
Description: Watch this video (http://openstaxcollege.org/I/ oxyblood) to see the transport of oxygen from the lungs to the tissues. Why is oxygenated blood bright red, whereas deoxygenated blood tends to be more of a purple color?

Watch this video (http://openstaxcollege.org/I/ oxyblood) to see the transport of oxygen from the lungs to the tissues. Why is oxygenated blood bright red, whereas deoxygenated blood tends to be more of a purple color?

Key Concepts

Spectral Properties of Hemoglobin

The color differences between oxygenated and deoxygenated blood are due to the different spectral properties of hemoglobin depending on its oxygenation state. Oxygenated blood reflects light in a way that makes it appear vivid red, while deoxygenated blood, having lost oxygen, reflects light differently and thus appears darker or even purplish. This difference in light absorption and reflection is a fundamental aspect of how hemoglobin functions in the body.

Hemoglobin

Hemoglobin is the iron-containing protein in red blood cells responsible for transporting oxygen throughout the body. Its ability to bind oxygen is central to its function and causes changes in the protein's conformation, which in turn affects its color. This property is key to understanding how blood carries oxygen and how it appears to the eye under different levels of oxygen saturation.

Oxygen Binding

The process of oxygen binding involves oxygen molecules attaching to iron atoms within the heme groups of hemoglobin. When oxygen binds, it leads to a conformational change in the hemoglobin molecule, resulting in a shift in its light absorption properties. This is why oxygenated hemoglobin appears bright red; the bound oxygen alters the electronic structure of the molecule, which changes the way light is reflected.

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