What is the importance of the physiologic chloride shift in erythrocytes?

What is the importance of the physiologic chloride shift in
erythrocytes?

Question Posted / biomaster

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What is the importance of the physiologic chloride shift in erythrocytes?..

Answer / biology as student - aspiring

The chloride shift is the diffusion of Chloride anions (Cl-)
from blood plasma into cytoplasm of RBCs and occurs to
maintain the electrochemical neutality in RBCs as
bicarbonate anions (HCO3-)diffuse out of cytoplasm of
erythrocytes (RBCs) into the blood plasma.
The bicarbonate anions are the product of the dissociation
of carbonic acid to bicarbonate and hydrogen ions (H2CO3 ->
HCO3- + H+) with the carbonic acid being formed from
reaction between carbon dioxide and water, this reaction
being catalysed by carbonic anhydrase (H20 + CO2 -> H2CO3).
The protons/hydrogen ions (H+) produced from the
dissociation of carbonic acid go on to react with
haemoglobin causing the tetramer to undergo a 3D
conformational change resulting in the release of an oxygen
molecule from each of the 4 haem prosthetic groups per
haemoglobin tetramer (one per polypeptide subunit). These
diffuse into the blood plasma for respiring tissue. (HbO8 +
H+ -> +HHb + 4O2)
It is this sequence of reactions that account for the Bohr
shift seen on oxygen dissociation curves.

I hope this is right as I have an exam in a few weeks!

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What is the importance of the physiologic chloride shift in erythrocytes?..

Answer / medstudent

That answer doesn't explain anything...

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16 Yes

7 No

What is the importance of the physiologic chloride shift in erythrocytes?..

Answer / biomaster

Membranes contain the chloride bicarbonate antiport allowing
the RBC to transport carbon dioxide from the the lung
periphery for elimination.

Is This Answer Correct ?

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15 No

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