Which molecule carries oxygen in the bloodstream?

Prepare for the ECPI Anatomy and Physiology AandP Exam 1. Utilize multiple choice questions and flashcards with detailed explanations. Enhance your knowledge and be exam-ready!

Multiple Choice

Which molecule carries oxygen in the bloodstream?

Explanation:
Oxygen transport in the blood is achieved mainly by hemoglobin in red blood cells. Hemoglobin has four heme groups with iron that reversibly binds one molecule of O2 each, allowing oxygen picked up in the lungs to be carried to tissues throughout the body. A small portion of oxygen is dissolved directly in plasma, but most is bound to hemoglobin, making it the primary carrier. Myoglobin, by contrast, stores and releases oxygen within muscle tissue, not in the bloodstream, so it isn’t the main transporter of oxygen in the blood. Calcitonin is a hormone involved in calcium regulation, unrelated to oxygen transport. Rotation isn’t a molecule involved in carrying oxygen.

Oxygen transport in the blood is achieved mainly by hemoglobin in red blood cells. Hemoglobin has four heme groups with iron that reversibly binds one molecule of O2 each, allowing oxygen picked up in the lungs to be carried to tissues throughout the body. A small portion of oxygen is dissolved directly in plasma, but most is bound to hemoglobin, making it the primary carrier.

Myoglobin, by contrast, stores and releases oxygen within muscle tissue, not in the bloodstream, so it isn’t the main transporter of oxygen in the blood. Calcitonin is a hormone involved in calcium regulation, unrelated to oxygen transport. Rotation isn’t a molecule involved in carrying oxygen.

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