Chapter 21, Problem 21.82QP

As stated in the chapter, carbon monoxide has a much higher affinity for hemoglobin than oxygen does, (a) Write the equilibrium constant expression (K_c) for the process

$\text{CO(}g\text{) + HbO2(}aq\text{)}\rightleftarrows {\text{O}}_{\text{2}}\text{(}g\text{) + HbCO(}aq\text{)}$

where HbO₂ and HbCO are oxygenated hemoglobin and carboxyhemoglobin, respectively, (b) The composition of a breath of air inhaled by a person smoking a cigarette is 1.9 × 10⁻⁶ mol/L CO and 8.6 × 10⁻³ mol/L O₂. Calculate the ratio of [HbCO] to [HbO₂], given that Kc is 212 at 37°C.