CHEM 208 Lecture Notes - Lecture 5: Hemoglobin, Ultraviolet, Volatile Organic Compound
7 Feb 2018
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Document Summary
The air we breathe is a mixture of several gases, fine particles and vapors. Dry air consists of 21% oxygen and 78% nitrogen plus traces of other substances that are both natural and human-made. Major components of air: nitrogen (n2, oxygen (o2, water (h2o, carbon dioxide (co2, carbon monoxide (co) When there is an adequate supply of oxygen, there is complete combustion of fossil fuels thereby forming the major by-products: carbon dioxide and water. However, when there is an insufficient supply of oxygen, there is incomplete combustion of fossil fuels and carbon monoxide gas is released. Furthermore, carbon monoxide can also be produced by other processes such as combustion of organic matter during waste incineration. Natural sources of carbon monoxide include forest fires and volcanoes. When a person inhales carbon monoxide, it binds to the oxygen-carrying site on the hemoglobin of red blood cells, causing a reduction of oxygen transport in the body.
