Question

Hamburger's phenomenon is also known as

• A. chloride shift
• B. Haldane effect
• C. Bohr effect
• D. hydrogen shift

Answer 1

Answer: (A)

chloride shift

Answer 2

During $CO_2$ transport, when carbon dioxide diffuses into $RBCs$, it combines with water to form carbonic acid which being unstable quickly forms $H^+$ and bicarbonate ions. The bicarbonate ions are quite diffusible and diffuse from $RBC$, into plasma. To maintain the ionic balance, chloride ions move from plasma into $RBCs$. This ionic exchange is called chloride shift or Hamburger's phenomenon.