Question

Based on the condition of Secretariat(a horse with a bigger heart.... allows him to run faster as he does not get tired as easily), how would you expect his oxygen binding curves for fractional saturation of oxygen to look in comparison to normal thoroughbreds? Draw out oxygen binding curves for Secretariat vs typical thorough breds. In general, how would the curve look (ie: sigmoidal vs hyperbolic, expected p50 values)?

Reworded in correlation to the new comment:

• I guess so, how would a bigger heart size change the Oxygen hemoglobin dissociation curve compared to horses with a normal heart size?

Answer 1

The curve will be similar because both has similar blood and factors.

But the secretariat have big heart which will produce more force of contraction and more blood will be ejected from the left ventricle and it will supply the whole body as more blood is delivered more oxygen will also be delivered because oxygen binding is proportional to the amount of blood volume ejected.

an sigmoidal curve ㅋ어 of Haemoglobin 7. O2 satenati Go so 40 30 - Pso (30 man tx) 10 20 30 40 so 90 60 70 80 PO₂ (mom 14x)