Final answer:
Myoglobin is a protein that stores oxygen in muscle cells, supporting aerobic respiration during heightened activity. Hemoglobin is related but serves to transport oxygen between the lungs and other tissues. The presence of myoglobin allows for a sustained aerobic energy production during activities that increase oxygen demand in muscles.
3) stores oxygen in muscle cells
Step-by-step explanation:
The student's question regards the role of myoglobin in muscle cells. Myoglobin is a protein that stores oxygen in muscle tissue, which is essential for aerobic respiration when the muscles are actively contracting, especially during prolonged activity.
Hemoglobin, on the other hand, is responsible for transporting oxygen between the lungs and other tissues throughout the body.
Myoglobin's capacity for oxygen storage is crucial for maintaining aerobic respiration in muscle tissue when oxygen demand is increased, for example during exercise. As the glycolytic pathway generates ATP in the absence of oxygen, myoglobin provides the necessary oxygen to convert pyruvate into ATP via the Krebs cycle and chemiosmosis when oxygen becomes available again.