Final answer:
The statement that hemoglobin has a low affinity for carbon dioxide in tissues is false, as hemoglobin binds with carbon dioxide readily when the partial pressure is high in the tissues.
Step-by-step explanation:
The statement that hemoglobin has a low affinity for carbon dioxide in tissues is false. In fact, hemoglobin in the red blood cells does bind to carbon dioxide to form carbaminohemoglobin (HbCO2). The binding and dissociation of carbon dioxide from hemoglobin are dependent on the partial pressure of carbon dioxide.
In body tissues where the partial pressure of carbon dioxide is high, hemoglobin will bind more readily to carbon dioxide. However, the affinity of hemoglobin for oxygen is important as well because oxygen has a higher affinity for hemoglobin than carbon dioxide. This is evident when considering the Haldane effect, where oxygen-saturated hemoglobin has a reduced affinity for carbon dioxide.
Conversely, when hemoglobin is not bound to oxygen and the partial pressure of oxygen is low, it can bind more readily to carbon dioxide, thereby facilitating its transport out of the tissues and into the blood for expulsion in the lungs.