Part H Applying Your Knowledge of Shifts and Affinity Use the oxygen-dissociatio

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Part H Applying Your Knowledge of Shifts and Affinity Use the oxygen-dissociation curve below to answer the following question. How does affinity to hemoglobin in fetal blood compare to maternal blood and what does this mean regarding oxygen loading to hemoglobin? 100 hemoglobin 70 60 n50 A 40 Maternal hemoglobin 10 20 40 60 80 100 120 Po2 (mm Hg) 0 Hints O Fetal hemoglobin has an increased affinity to oxygen, which means that it is less saturated than maternal hemoglobin at any given partial pressure of oxygen. O Fetal hemoglobin has an decreased affinity to oxygen, which means that it is less saturated than maternal hemoglobin at any given partial pressure of oxygen. O Fetal hemoglobin has an increased affinity to oxygen, which means that it is more saturated than maternal hemoglobin at any given partial pressure of oxygen. O Fetal hemoglobin has an decreased affinity to oxygen, which means that it is more saturated than maternal hemoglobin at any given partial pressure of oxygen. Submit My Answers Give Up

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fetal hemoglobin has an increased affinity to oxygen, which means that it is more saturated than maternal hemoglobin at any given partial pressure of oxygen.

Fetal hemoglobin consists of alpha and gamma chain, thus increasing its oxygen affinity more than that of maternal hemoglobin (alpha and beta chain). Thus the fatal hemoglobin in the placental side can take up oxygen from the maternal circulation containing adult hemoglobin.

Since, the fetal tissue has a very low oxygen partial pressure, there is no problem in unloading of oxygen to the fetal tissue.

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