Question
7 (12 pts) Answer all of tge questions Case study 9 as your last question on this exam. Tge questions are shown here but tge full case study is in exam 2 section. Case study 9 from Voet, Voet and Pratt, 5th ed.
Case Study 9:
Answer the following questions:
Case 9 Allosteric Interactions in Crocodile Hemoglobin Focus concept The efect of allosteric modulators on oxygen affinity for crocodile hemoglobin is unique when compared with other species Prerequisite Hemoglobin structure and function concepts. Background While most human beings are able to hold their breath for only a minute or two, o adaptations that allow some organisms to deliver oxygen to tissues while submerged under water. beings are able to hold their breath for only a minute or two, other species are able to stay under water for much longer periods of time. In this case study we will examine the physiological Deep sea-diving mammals, such as whales and seals, are able to stay under water for long periods of time. These mammals are able to stay submerged because their muscles contain many-fold higher concentrations of myoglobin (Mb) than humans Crocodiles are also able to stay submerged under water for periods of time exceeding one hour. This adaptation allows the crocodile to kill small mammals by drowning them. However, the crocodile doesn't have large amounts of myoglobin in its muscle as the deep sea-diving mammals do, so their physiological adaptation must be different. In 1995, Nagai and colleagues described in the British journal Nature a possible mechanism that allowed the crocodile hemoglobin to deliver a large fraction of bound oxygen to the tissues. They suggested that bicarbonate, HCO,, binds to hemoglobin to promote the dissociation of oxygen in a manner similar to 2,3-bisphosphoglycerate (BPG) in humans This case is important because information gathered from experiments like those described here wil allow scientists to design effective blood replacements.
Explanation / Answer
i) There are multiple allosteric modulators for hemoglobin-
ii) In whales there is an high amount of myoglobins, which has higher affinity for oxygen as compared to hemoglobin, which helps them to stay under water for long times , where the oxygen concentration is low.
iii) crocodiles belong to chemoorganoheterotrophs, their diet is carbon based, which produces CO2 inside the cells. CO2 and water reacts to form the bicarbonate.
v)Protein-Protein Interactions.
