Final answer:
Hemoglobin is referred to as oxyhemoglobin when it is saturated with oxygen atoms. Oxyhemoglobin occurs when all four heme units in hemoglobin are occupied by oxygen, which is typically the case for 95 to 99 percent of hemoglobin in a healthy individual.
Step-by-step explanation:
When hemoglobin is saturated with oxygen atoms, it is termed C) oxyhemoglobin. Hemoglobin is a metalloprotein found in erythrocytes (red blood cells), consisting of four subunits, each containing an atom of iron bound to a molecule of heme. Oxygen molecules bind to the iron in heme units, and when all four heme units within a hemoglobin molecule are occupied by oxygen, it is fully saturated with oxygen and is referred to as oxyhemoglobin. Partial saturation occurs when only some of the heme units are occupied by oxygen. The percent saturation of hemoglobin with oxygen in a healthy individual generally ranges from 95 percent to 99 percent, indicating that the vast majority of hemoglobin molecules are typically in the form of oxyhemoglobin.Options such as carbaminohemoglobin and deoxyhemoglobin represent forms of hemoglobin that are bound to carbon dioxide and lacking bound oxygen, respectively. The term hemolyzed refers to the destruction of red blood cells, and sickle hemoglobin is related to a specific mutation that causes hemoglobin to form an abnormal shape, resulting in sickle-cell disease. Therefore, none of these terms describe hemoglobin that is saturated with oxygen.