What is known as the Bohr effect?

The Bohr effect refers specifically to the physiological phenomenon where changes in blood pH influence the affinity of hemoglobin for oxygen. As blood pH decreases, often due to increased levels of carbon dioxide in the blood and lactic acid production during exercise, hemoglobin's ability to bind with oxygen decreases. This means that at lower pH levels, hemoglobin releases oxygen more readily to the tissues that need it, such as active muscles during strenuous activity.

This is particularly significant during exercise, when muscle activity generates more carbon dioxide and lactic acid, leading to a drop in pH. Thus, the body can effectively adjust oxygen delivery to meet the increased demands of working muscles. This relationship is crucial for understanding respiratory and cardiovascular physiology, especially in how the body regulates oxygen transport during varying states of activity and metabolic demand.