Final answer:
Fluids will tend to accumulate in tissues due to the reduced colloid osmotic pressure that fails to counterbalance the hydrostatic pressure within the capillaries during protein starvation.
Step-by-step explanation:
If, during protein starvation, the colloid osmotic pressure of the blood plasma on the venous side of capillary beds drops below the hydrostatic pressure in the capillary, then fluid dynamics within the capillaries shift. Normally, the blood colloidal osmotic pressure (BCOP), which is primarily generated by plasma proteins like albumin, balances the hydrostatic pressure and ensures that fluids return to the capillary from the interstitial space. However, when BCOP drops, the balance tilts in favor of hydrostatic pressure, leading to an excessive accumulation of fluid in the interstitial spaces or tissues. As a result, answer option b. fluids will tend to accumulate in tissues is correct.
The diminished colloid osmotic pressure fails to provide the necessary pull to attract water back into the bloodstream, resulting in edema. This phenomenon is not associated with the function of hemoglobin in oxygen or carbon dioxide transport, hence options a, c, and d are incorrect. Additionally, plasma proteins generally do not escape through the endothelium of the capillaries in significant amounts under normal conditions, making option e incorrect as well.