Question

Under resting conditions, what happens to the binding of hemoglobin with oxygen?

1) Increases
2) Decreases
3) Remains unchanged
4) Cannot be determined

Answer 1

Under resting conditions, the binding of hemoglobin with oxygen remains unchanged because the partial pressure of oxygen and hemoglobin saturation level are stable, maintaining hemoglobin's affinity for oxygen.

Step-by-step explanation:

Under resting conditions, the binding of hemoglobin with oxygen remains relatively stable or unchanged. This is because the oxygen dissociation curve is sigmoidal, implying that while it is easier to bind the second and third oxygen molecules to hemoglobin due to conformational changes in the hemoglobin molecule, the fourth molecule is more difficult to bind. However, under resting conditions, the partial pressure of oxygen in the blood and the hemoglobin saturation level are relatively constant, so hemoglobin's affinity for oxygen does not significantly increase or decrease unless influenced by other factors such as pH, temperature, or the presence of other gases like carbon dioxide or carbon monoxide. Therefore, the correct answer would be (3) Remains unchanged.