Can someone help me describe the primary method of oxygen transportation through the bloodstream and also the primary method of carbon dioxide transportation through the bloodstream as well? And describe the interaction between the two methods of transportation, including important ions and proteins. Also explain why this interaction between the two methods is important to the human body. Heres what I have...

Question

anonymous · Answer

Oxygen Transportation--> Dissolved in plasma and bound to hemoglobin (carried by RBC's) 
Carbon Dioxide Transportation--> Blood transports CO2 from tissues to lungs, dissolve in plasma and chemically bound to hemoglobin and as bicarbonate ion in plasma.

magbak · Answer

Well it is through the reed blood cells in a process called cellular respiration.

anonymous · Answer

There interaction --> Oxygen breathed in through lungs and diffuses into circulatory system where transported by hemoglobin. When oxygen reaches destination (cells) it is released. Carbon Dioxide is exerted from cells transported by bicarbonate via hemoglobin. The bicarbonate reaction = CO2+ H2O= H2CO3 breaks up in bicarbonate ion HCO3- and free H+. It is only transported in this way and when it reaches destination reaction occurs in reverse to reform CO2 which is excreted from body through breathing.

magbak · Answer

Yes that is correct.

anonymous · Answer

@magbak Are you talking about the oxygen? So through cellular respiration thats how the oxygen is transported?

anonymous · Answer

How are these important to the body? I know we need oxygen to breathe and the CO2 is part of that ... But what other reason are oxygen and CO2 important to the body?

magbak · Answer

Yes I am speaking about oxygen.

anonymous · Answer

Ok this question is for my long answer tomorrow for my test I'm just trying to make sure I understand it all. So my Oxygen Transportation-->Is Dissolved in plasma and bound to hemoglobin (carried by RBC's) through cellular respiration? Am I correct? @magbak

aaronq · Answer

no, cellular respiration refers to the oxidative phosphorylation processes which occur in the cell (mitochondria) with the outmost goal of energy sequestration in the form of ATP.

Oxygen transport is done by hemoglobin (98.5% of all oxygen in blood) which exist inside blood red cells and in the plasma (1.5%). The binding and dissociation of oxygen molecules is affected by several things: 

Partial pressure of the gases (both oxygen gas and carbon dioxide gas)
pH
Temperature
organophosphates