Why Does Fetal Hemoglobin Have a Greater Affinity for Oxygen

question 19

Multiple Choice

Why does fetal hemoglobin have a greater affinity for oxygen than adult hemoglobin?

• A)The fetus does not have its own oxygen supply and must rely on oxygen from the maternal vascular system.
• B)The fetus has two g-chains on the hemoglobin, rather than two b-chains as in the adult.
• C)Fetal hemoglobin interacts less readily with diphosphoglycerate (DPG), which inhibits hemoglobin-oxygen binding.
• D)Fetal hemoglobin production occurs in the vessels and liver rather than in the bone marrow as in the adult.

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Definitions:

Ammonia

A compound of nitrogen and hydrogen (NH3) that is a colorless gas with a pungent smell, used widely in industry and produced naturally in the body as a byproduct of amino acid metabolism.

Bicarbonate Ions

A negatively charged ion that acts as a significant component of the bicarbonate buffer system, helping to maintain pH balance in blood and other bodily fluids.

Phosphate Ions

Negatively charged ions (PO4^3-) that play crucial roles in biological processes such as energy transfer and cellular regulation.

Sensible Perspiration

Perspiration excreted by the sweat glands that appears as moisture on the skin; produced in large quantity when there is much humidity in the atmosphere.