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Erythrocytes: Hemoglobin quiz #3

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1/23
  • Describe the structure of a hemoglobin molecule and explain how this structure enables it to carry oxygen.
    Hemoglobin is composed of four protein subunits (two alpha and two beta), each containing a heme group with a central iron atom. Each iron atom can bind one oxygen molecule, allowing a single hemoglobin molecule to carry up to four oxygen molecules.
  • Why is blood never actually blue, and what causes the difference in color between oxygenated and deoxygenated blood?
    Blood is never actually blue; oxygenated blood is bright red due to hemoglobin bound to oxygen, while deoxygenated blood is dark red because hemoglobin is not bound to oxygen. The blue color often used in diagrams is just for visual distinction.
  • What is the primary function of hemoglobin in red blood cells?
    Hemoglobin's primary function is to transport oxygen and carbon dioxide gases in the blood.
  • How many hemoglobin molecules are found in a single red blood cell?
    A single red blood cell contains about 250 million hemoglobin molecules.
  • How many oxygen molecules can one hemoglobin molecule carry at maximum, and why?
    One hemoglobin molecule can carry up to four oxygen molecules because it has four subunits, each with a heme group that binds one oxygen.
  • Describe the structure of a hemoglobin molecule.
    Hemoglobin is made of four protein subunits (two alpha and two beta), each containing a heme group with a central iron atom.
  • How does hemoglobin bind oxygen and carbon dioxide differently?
    Oxygen binds to the iron atom in the heme group, while carbon dioxide binds to amino groups on the protein, not the heme.
  • Why is hemoglobin's ability to bind gases reversibly important?
    Reversible binding allows hemoglobin to pick up oxygen in the lungs and release it in tissues, and to pick up carbon dioxide in tissues and release it in the lungs.
  • Why is blood never actually blue, and what causes the color difference between oxygenated and deoxygenated blood?
    Blood is always red; oxygenated blood is bright red due to oxygen-bound hemoglobin, while deoxygenated blood is dark red because hemoglobin is not bound to oxygen.
  • What role does hemoglobin play in carbon dioxide transport compared to oxygen transport?
    Hemoglobin plays a larger role in oxygen transport, while most carbon dioxide is transported by blood plasma rather than hemoglobin.
  • Which component of the blood is primarily responsible for transporting oxygen?
    Hemoglobin, a protein found in red blood cells (erythrocytes), is primarily responsible for transporting oxygen.
  • What role do red blood cells play in respiration?
    Red blood cells transport oxygen from the lungs to body tissues and carry carbon dioxide from the tissues back to the lungs for exhalation.
  • Cyanosis is caused by an increased blood concentration of which form of hemoglobin?
    Cyanosis is caused by an increased concentration of deoxygenated hemoglobin in the blood.
  • What component of blood carries oxygen to the tissues?
    Hemoglobin within red blood cells carries oxygen to the tissues.
  • Most oxygen in the blood is transported bound to what molecule?
    Most oxygen in the blood is transported bound to hemoglobin.
  • Which mineral is essential for healthy red blood cells and oxygen transport?
    Iron is essential for healthy red blood cells and oxygen transport, as it is found in the heme group of hemoglobin.
  • Which substance in the blood is responsible for transporting oxygen?
    Hemoglobin is the substance in the blood responsible for transporting oxygen.
  • Which blood component gives blood its color?
    Hemoglobin gives blood its color; oxygenated hemoglobin makes blood bright red, while deoxygenated hemoglobin makes it dark red.
  • How do red blood cells contribute to the process of respiration?
    Red blood cells contribute to respiration by carrying oxygen from the lungs to tissues and transporting carbon dioxide from tissues to the lungs.
  • What gives blood its red color?
    Hemoglobin gives blood its red color, with oxygenated hemoglobin appearing bright red and deoxygenated hemoglobin appearing dark red.
  • How does carbon monoxide affect a smoker’s blood?
    Carbon monoxide binds to the iron in hemoglobin more strongly than oxygen, reducing the blood's ability to carry oxygen and leading to decreased oxygen delivery to tissues.
  • How is oxygen most often carried in the blood?
    Oxygen is most often carried in the blood bound to hemoglobin within red blood cells.
  • How does carbon monoxide affect the oxygen-carrying capacity of a smoker's blood?
    Carbon monoxide decreases the oxygen-carrying capacity of blood by binding to hemoglobin, preventing oxygen from binding and being transported.