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From Hydration to Filtration: Nature’s Blueprint Prerna, a student at Plaksha ...
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From Hydration to Filtration:
Nature’s Blueprint
Prerna, a student at Plaksha University, was finishing her tennis practice. After her last shot of the day, she put her racket down and did a couple of stretches. She then looked at her smartwatch, which displayed her current heart rate. During exercise, heart rate increases because the heart must pump faster to deliver oxygen-rich blood to the muscles.
A key mode of transport in the body is diffusion, where molecules move from a region of higher concentration to a region of lower concentration. As the heart pumps to maintain the oxygen level, the oxygen saturation (SpO can be measured by smart watches or using pulse oximeter.
Your blood contains hemoglobin (Hb), a protein in red blood cells that carries oxygen. When hemoglobin is fully loaded with oxygen, we call it oxygenated hemoglobin (HbO₂). If it is not carrying oxygen, it is called deoxygenated hemoglobin (Hb).
A pulse oximeter shines two types of light—red and infrared—through your finger (or another thin body part).
Oxygenated hemoglobin (HbO₂) absorbs
more infrared light and lets more red light pass through.
Deoxygenated hemoglobin (Hb) absorbs
more red light and lets more infrared light pass through.
A sensor measures the amount of light absorbed and calculates the percentage of hemoglobin that is carrying oxygen—this is your oxygen saturation (SpO₂).
Practice question: How does a pulse oximeter determine the oxygen saturation (SpO₂) of blood?