pH changes would alter the structure of hemoglobin, inhibiting the binding of oxygen to it.How would changes in pH afffect the ability of the blood to carry oxygen?
The main component of blood that carries oxygen are the red blood cells, and the red blood cells contain the protein hemoglobin. Hemoglobin is what attaches to the oxygen.
Since it is a protein, it is made of of amino acids, which are connected by bonds. In this case, hydrogen bonds are what we're looking at specifically.
Since pH is determined by how much hydrogen concentrations in the solution, then a change in pH can change the shape of a protein. There are difference in the concentration of hydrogen that might mess with the hydrogen bonds keeping the protein together.
Since shape = function in proteins, changing the shape of the protein may not allow it to bind with oxygen properly.
HTH.
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