Final answer:
The maximum acute blood loss an adult can tolerate is around 750 ml to 1.5 liters, with 2 liters being the closest answer option but very dangerous. The body compensates for blood loss up to 500 ml without severe effects, but any loss beyond this can lead to hypovolemic shock.
Step-by-step explanation:
The maximum amount of acute blood loss that the adult body can generally tolerate is around 15-30% of the total blood volume. This equates to about 750 milliliters to 1.5 liters in the average adult. Given the options provided, answer (c) 2 liters is the closest to the upper tolerance limit for acute blood loss, although losing this much blood is typically very dangerous and can lead to shock and require immediate medical intervention. It is important to note that the average adult male contains approximately 5 to 6 liters of blood, while the average adult female contains about 4 to 5 liters.
The adult body can compensate for blood loss of up to 500 milliliters without serious effects, as the body has mechanisms to maintain blood pressure and tissue perfusion temporarily. However, blood loss beyond this amount can lead to hypovolemic shock, a life-threatening condition where the heart is unable to pump enough blood to the body, and organs can start to fail due to lack of oxygen.