Log out Go to App
Go to App

Learning Materials

Features

Discover

Chapter 7: Q24P (page 219)

What is the likely range of the Hill constant for the hemoglobin described in Problem 23?

Short Answer

Expert verified

The range of the hill constant for the hemoglobin discussed in Problem 23 will most likely be 1.1 – 2.

Step by step solution

01

Hill constant

The Hill constant indicates the cooperativity of the hemoglobin-oxygen binding. It is commonly a measurement of the number of ligand molecules bound to a functional protein.

02

Hill constant range  

In cooperative binding, more than one subunit of a protein bind with the ligands. Hence, the Hill constant for a cooperative binding should have a value > 1.

At the same time, the hill constant should not be more than the number of the hemoglobin’s oxygen binding sites, which is 2.

Thus, in this case, the hill constant might range from 1.1 to 2.

Unlock Step-by-Step Solutions & Ace Your Exams!

  • Full Textbook Solutions

    Get detailed explanations and key concepts

  • Unlimited Al creation

    Al flashcards, explanations, exams and more...

  • Ads-free access

    To over 500 millions flashcards

  • Money-back guarantee

    We refund you if you fail your exam.

Start your free trial

Over 30 million students worldwide already upgrade their learning with Vaia!

One App. One Place for Learning.

All the tools & learning materials you need for study success - in one app.

Get started for free

Most popular questions from this chapter

Drinking a few drops of a commercial preparation called “vitamin O,” which consists of oxygen and sodium chloride dissolved in water, is claimed to increase the concentration of oxygen in the body. (a) Use your knowledge of oxygen transport to evaluate this claim. (b) Would vitamin O be more or less effective if it were infused directly into the bloodstream?

The force generated by a muscle fiber increases as the sarcomere shortens but decreases at very short sarcomere lengths. Explain this observation. (Hint: Recall that cell volume remains constant during muscle contraction.)

Antibodies raised against a macromolecular antigen usually produce an antigen–antibody precipitate when mixed with that antigen. Explain why no precipitate forms when (a) Fab fragments from those antibodies are mixed with the antigen; (b) antibodies raised against a small antigen are mixed with that small antigen; and (c) the antibody is in great excess over the antigen and vice versa.

Explain why mutations can increase or decrease the oxygen affinity and cooperativity of hemoglobin. How can the body compensate for those changes?

Estimate K from the following data describing ligand binding to a protein.
See all solutions

Recommended explanations on Biology Textbooks

Bioenergetics

Read Explanation

Biological Organisms

Read Explanation

Biological Processes

Read Explanation

Organ Systems

Read Explanation

Chemistry of Life

Read Explanation

Biology Experiments

Read Explanation
View all explanations

What do you think about this solution?

We value your feedback to improve our textbook solutions.

Study anywhere. Anytime. Across all devices.

Sign-up for free