Uptake of O₂ and CO by hemoglobin in sheep erythrocytes at various temperatures

¹ Physics Department, St. Mary's Hospital Medical School, University of London, London, England

Spectrophotometric observations were made with the stopped-flow method on the rate of uptake of CO and O₂ by hemoglobin in intact sheep erythrocytes at temperatures between 5 and 37 C. Both rates were found to increase by roughly 1.5 for each 10 C rise. On the basis that diffusion through the cell membrane is involved, energies of activation for this process are calculated as 4,350 cal/mole for O₂ and 5,900 cal/mole for CO. The addition of silver, copper, magnesium, and lead ions were found to significantly increase these rates.