1. Introduction


2. The circulatory system and oxygen transport
2.1 Design of the cardiovascular system
2.2 Hemodynamics
2.2.1 Flow of blood through single vessels
2.3 Structure and function of the microcirculation
2.4 Transcapillary exchange of solutes
2.5 Regulation of blood flow
2.5.1 Local regulation of blood flow
2.5.2 Mechanisms of local regulation
2.5.3 Myogenic mechanism
2.5.4 Metabolically linked mechanisms of blood flow regulation
2.5.4.1 Metabolic vasodilator hypothesis
2.5.4.2 Erythrocyte as a mobile oxygen sensor hypothesis
2.5.4.2.1 ATP release from RBCs
2.5.4.2.2 NO release from RBCs
2.5.4.3 Nitric oxide/superoxide radical pair interaction hypothesis
2.5.5 Other oxygen-linked issues of flow regulation
2.5.6 Conducted vasomotor responses


3. The respiratory system and oxygen transport
3.1 Physical chemistry of respiratory gases
3.1.1 Gas laws
3.1.2 Properties of gases in liquids: Henry's law
3.1.3 Forms in which gases are carried


4. Oxygen transport
4.1 Gas exchange and diffusion
4.1.1 Overall gas exchange
4.1.2 Diffusion
4.1.3 Fick's law of diffusion
4.1.4 Summary of diffusion properties
4.1.5 Gas exchange limited by diffusion and perfusion
4.2 Oxygen in the blood
4.2.1 Blood: plasma and red blood cells
4.2.2 Hemoglobin (heme + globin)
4.2.3 Binding of oxygen to hemoglobin: oxygen saturation (dissociation) curve
4.2.4 Allosteric effectors of oxygen binding to hemoglobin
4.2.5 Overall oxygen transport
4.2.6 Carboxyhemoglobin
4.3 Artificial oxygen carriers
4.3.1 Hemoglobin-based oxygen carriers
4.3.2 Perfluorocarbon emulsions


5. Chemical regulation of respiration
5.1 Response to altered oxygen
5.2 Central and peripheral respiratory chemoreceptors


6. Tissue gas transport
6.1 Utilization of oxygen by tissues
6.1.1 Mitochondria
6.1.2 Role of nitric oxide
6.1.3 Role of myoglobin in striated muscle
6.2 Oxygen transport in the microcirculation
6.2.1 Longitudinal (axial) profile of oxygen in arterioles
6.2.2 Longitudinal (axial) profile of oxygen in a capillary
6.2.3 Tissue oxygen transport: Krogh cylinder model


7. Oxygen transport in normal and pathological situations: defects and compensations
7.1 Description of oxygen transport using Fick's principle
7.2 Stagnant hypoxia (hypoperfusion)
7.3 Hypoxic hypoxia
7.4 Anemic hypoxia
7.5 Histotoxic hypoxia
7.6 Summary of hypoxic conditions and responses


8. Matching oxygen supply to oxygen demand
8.1 Fick's principle
8.2 Convective vs. diffusive oxygen transport
8.3 Matching oxygen supply to oxygen demand: role of arterioles and capillaries
8.4 Oxygen profile along a capillary: mass balance
8.5 Heterogeneity of blood flow and oxygen delivery


9. Exercise and hemorrhage
9.1 Exercise
9.1.1 Fick's principle in exercise
9.1.2 Temporal phases of exercise
9.1.3 Microvascular approach to oxygen transport during muscle contraction
9.1.4 Limited oxygen release from red blood cells: effect of transit time
9.2 Hemorrhage
9.2.1 Fick's principle in hemorrhage
9.2.2 Compensatory mechanisms in hemorrhage
9.2.3 Circulatory shock and resuscitation


10. Measurement of oxygen
10.1 Oxygen tension (PO2)
10.1.1 Polarographic electrodes
10.1.2 Phosphorescence quenching microscopy
10.2 Hemoglobin oxygen saturation (SO2)
10.2.1 Spectrophotometry of hemoglobin
10.2.2 Resonance Raman spectroscopy of hemoglobin


11. Summary
References
Author biography.