Bohr effect induced by CO2 and fixed acid at various levels of O2 saturation in duck blood.

The Bohr factor, phi = delta log Po2/deltapH, was determined at various levels of hemoglobin O2 saturation (SO2) in fresh whole blood of the duck. Plasma pH was varied by either changing PCO2 of the blood at constant base excess (CO2 Bohr factor, phiCO2) or by addition of NaHCO3 and HCl at constant PCO2 (fixed acid BOHR factor, phiAH). No differences were found between phiCO2 and phiAH at SO2 levels between 20 and 85%, and there was no saturation dependence of the Bohr factor, its average value being -0.44. It is concluded that in whole blood of this bird species CO2 exerts no direct effect on the O2 affinity of hemoglobin.