Final answer:
The hemoglobin found in erythrocytes can chemically attach to oxygen. Hemoglobin binds to oxygen molecules in the lungs and carries them to the body's tissues. This process forms oxyhemoglobin, giving oxygenated blood its bright red color.
Step-by-step explanation:
The hemoglobin found in erythrocytes is able to chemically attach to oxygen. Erythrocytes, or red blood cells, contain a metalloprotein called hemoglobin that binds to oxygen molecules and carries them from the lungs to the body's tissues.
Each hemoglobin molecule contains four iron-containing heme molecules, allowing it to bind up to four molecules of oxygen. When oxygen binds to hemoglobin, it forms oxyhemoglobin, which gives oxygenated blood its bright red color.