Why does fetal hemoglobin have a greater affinity for oxygen than adult hemoglobin?
A) Because the fetus does not have its own oxygen supply and must reply on oxygen from the maternal vascular system
B) Because the fetus has two-chains on the hemoglobin,rather than two ß-chains as in the adult
C) Because fetal hemoglobin interacts less readily with 2,3 diphosphoglycerate (2,3 DP),which inhibits hemoglobin-oxygen binding
D) Because fetal hemoglobin production occurs in the vessels and liver rather than in the bone marrow as in the adult

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Fetal hemoglobin has a higher affinity for oxygen than adult hemoglobin because it interacts less readily with 2,3-diphosphoglycerate (2,3-DPG), which inhibits hemoglobin-oxygen binding. This allows fetal hemoglobin to maintain a high affinity for oxygen even in the low oxygen environment of the fetus's circulatory system. The other options (A, B, and D) are not correct because they do not relate to the specific molecular mechanisms that underlie the difference in oxygen affinity between fetal and adult hemoglobin.

Why Does Fetal Hemoglobin Have a Greater Affinity for Oxygen