Question

How will an increase of blood `"CO"_2` affect hemoglobin's affinity for `"O"_2`?

Answer 1

Usually, it doesn't.

Explanation:

Hemoglobin, an iron-containing part of a red blood cell, usually has no preference over oxygen or carbon dioxide.

In other words, oxygen and carbon dioxide don't compete when attaching to hemoglobin. This is because oxygen binds to the iron atoms in the protein while carbon dioxide binds to the protein chains.

Oxygen and carbon dioxide work separately, for the most part, in the blood. Once oxygenated blood is brought to the capillaries, the oxygen is released due to the presence of carbon dioxide (the Bohr effect) which was released by cells.

Hemoglobin binds to `"CO"_2` to create Carbaminohaemoglobin and is carried to the lungs via red blood cells.

`"CO"` (carbon monoxide), on the other hand, is very deadly. It's colorless, odorless, and tasteless. It binds to hemoglobin easier than oxygen does. Because of this, if you inhale large quantities, `"CO"` will be carried to your cells and you will die.