At the tissue site, high pCO ₂ causes CO ₂ to diffuse into the blood, where a specific enzyme rapidly catalyses its hydration. The resulting increase in H ^+ concentration affects the oxygen dissociation curve. Identify the enzyme, its primary location in the blood, and the direction in which the oxygen dissociation curve shifts as a result of this process.

Step-by-step solution

At the tissue level, high pCO ₂ and low pO ₂ favour the dissociation of oxygen from haemoglobin. CO ₂ diffuses into the blood and forms carbonic acid, a reaction catalysed by the enzyme carbonic anhydrase. This enzyme is present in very high concentration in the RBCs (and only in minute quantities in the plasma). The formation of carbonic acid and its subsequent dissociation increases the H ^+ concentration (lowers pH). High pCO ₂ and high H ^+ concentration are factors that shift the oxygen dissociation curve to t