Bohr effect

Definition

The Bohr effect describes how an increase in carbon dioxide levels and a decrease in pH lead to hemoglobin releasing its oxygen more readily. It illustrates the physiological relationship between hemoglobin's oxygen-binding affinity and the concentration of carbon dioxide and hydrogen ions in the blood.

Related terms

Hemoglobin:

A protein in red blood cells responsible for transporting oxygen from the lungs to other parts of the body and returning carbon dioxide back to be exhaled.

Oxygen saturation: The fraction of oxygen-saturated hemoglobin relative to total hemoglobin in the blood, indicating how much oxygen is being carried.

Carbon Dioxide (CO2) Transport: The process by which carbon dioxide is carried from tissues back to the lungs for exhalation, partially facilitated by its conversion to bicarbonate ions in red blood cells