Multiple Choice Questions and Answers on Respiratory System Related

Review Multiple Choice Questions and Answers on Respiratory System related questions and content

Most of the oxygen transported by the blood is

  • A. dissolved in plasma
  • B. bound to hemoglobin
  • C. in ionic form as solute in the plasma
  • D. bound to the same protein as carbon dioxide
Correct Answer: B

Rationale: The correct answer is B: bound to hemoglobin. This is because hemoglobin is the protein in red blood cells that carries oxygen from the lungs to tissues throughout the body. Oxygen binds to the iron atoms in hemoglobin, forming oxyhemoglobin. This accounts for the majority of oxygen transport in the blood.

A: Dissolved in plasma is incorrect as only a small fraction of oxygen is carried this way.
C: In ionic form as a solute in plasma is incorrect as oxygen is not typically found in ionic form in the blood.
D: Bound to the same protein as carbon dioxide is incorrect as oxygen binds to hemoglobin, while carbon dioxide primarily binds to different proteins such as carbonic anhydrase.