Blood corpuscles and blood hemoglobins: a possible example of coevolution.
A model which equates oxygen transport to hemoglobin concentration and molecular weight is used to demonstrate that high concentrations of hemoglobin will augment oxygen transport only if the molecular weight of the hemoglobin is low. The evolution of corpuscles is a necessary counterpart to having high concentrations of the low molecular weight hemoglobins. corpuscles prevent loss of the small molecules by way of excretory filters and prevent the development of exceedingly high plasma osmotic pressures.
D005075:Biological Evolution; D004912:Erythrocytes / Q000502:physiology*; D006454:Hemoglobins / Q000502:physiology*; D008954:Models, Biological; D008970:Molecular Weight; D009994:Osmolar Concentration; D010100:Oxygen / Q000097:blood*
D006454:Hemoglobins; D010100:Oxygen