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2.1 identify the form(s) in which each of the following is carried in mammalian blood:
identify the form(s) in which each of the following is carried in mammalian blood:
- carbon dioxide
- oxygen
- water
- salts
- lipids
- nitrogenous waste
- other products of digestion
- Most carbon dioxide enters the red blood cells and is combined with water to form bicarbonate ions (HCO3-). Some is attached to haemoglobin molecules in red blood cells and a small percentage is transported in plasma as dissolved CO2.
- Oxygen attaches itself to haemoglobin in the red blood cells, becoming a complex called oxyhaemoglobin (HbO2).
- Liquid water is the solvent making up 90% of the plasma.
- Salts are carried as dissolved ions in the plasma.
- Lipids are carried with phospholipids and cholesterol in a protein coated package called a chylomicron.
- The nitrogenous wastes (urea, uric acid and creatinine) are dissolved in blood plasma.
- Other products of digestion, such as sugars, amino acids and various vitamins, are transported in the plasma.