RESPIRATORY CHARACTERISTICS OF BLOOD OF BABOON GIBBON AND CHIMPANZEE

Blood samples from three chimpanzees, two gibbons, and five baboons were used for construction of oxygen dissociation curves at 38 °C and pH 7.40. The oxygen tension at 50% saturation (P50) of chimpanzee blood was 28.0 mm Hg. This is not significantly different from that of human blood. The P50 of baboon blood was 32.1 mm Hg, similar to that of the rhesus monkey. The curve of gibbon blood was intermediate between these two (P50, 30.4 mm Hg). There were some differences between the species in red blood cell pH but this alone did not account for the difference in oxygen affinity. The magnitude of the Bohr effect and the temperature factor for baboon blood were similar to values reported for human blood. © 1968 S. Karger AG, Basel.