A Cephalopod Approach to Rethinking About the Importance of the Bohr and Haldane Effects·
Pacific Science (1982), vol. 36, no. 3 © 1983 by the University of Hawaii Press. All rights reserved A Cephalopod Approach to Rethinking about the Importance of the Bohr and Haldane Effects· G. LYKKEBOE2 and K. JOHANSEN2 ABSTRACT: This study concerns the physiological implications of the Bohr and Haldane effects and the buffer values in the blood from the cephalopods Nautilus pompilius, Octopus macropus, Sepia latimanus, Nototodarus sloani philippinensis, and Sepioteuthis lessoniana. All species studied except one (Nautilus) have Bohr and Haldane coefficients numerically higher than unity, and the two effects were found to be nearly identical in all cases, in accord with the theoretical prediction of Wyman (1964). However, the functional Haldane coefficient was significantly lower than the Haldane coefficient in two cases (Sepia and Sepioteuthis). Buffer values were highest in the two species with the lowest oxygen requirement (Nautilus and Octopus), whereas the three fast swim mers studied (Nototodarus, Sepia, and Sepioteuthis) display comparatively low buffer values. It is concluded that the large Bohr effects seen in four of the five species may have their primary effect on oxygen loading in the gills. THE OXYGEN AFFINITY ofcephalopod blood is Since the Bohr effect is generally acredited pH-sensitive in all reported cases. However, physiological significance in respiratory blood for no other group of animals does the pH gas transport, variations in it that are related sensitivity ofthe O 2 binding, expressed by the to behavior, habitat, or systemic factors Bohr coefficient (Lllog P50/LlpH), show such a should be easily discernible in cephalopods. large variability between species (P50 denotes The present study compares blood respi the oxygen tension at half02 saturation ofthe ratory properties and discusses their possible blood).
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