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Why is molecular oxygen so low?

Posted by bingo on 20 May 2010 at 00:14 GMT

glucose concentration in the Extra-Cellular Fluid (ECF) is only 5 mM, and the concentration of molecular oxygen, another important substrate of the GBFC, is markedly lower in blood (45 µM)
http://plosone.org/article/info:doi/10.1371/journal.pone.0010476#article1.body1.sec1.p2

Is this uniform across the body or varies markedly?

No competing interests declared.

RE: Why is molecular oxygen so low?

cinquin replied to bingo on 26 May 2010 at 04:44 GMT

This is because we placed the GBFC in the Extra-Cellular Fluid of the animal. It can be assumed that the concentration of dioxygen in this space is lower than its concentration in the veins. The concentration of dioxygen depends on the distance between the device and blood capillaries, which is of course very difficult to estimate. I do not have data about the lowest levels of dioxygen in the body. The highest levels are of course in the arteries, where the normal level is about 2.4 higher than in the veins.

No competing interests declared.