Question

Why is myoglobin important?

Select one:

a. It maintains an O2 gradient between the tissue and the capillary

b. It binds H+ to maintain pH

c. It keeps tissue PO2 high

d. It produces ATP from O2

e. It exchanges O2 for CO2

Answer 1

Myoglobin is a hemoprotein in cytoplasm that is found in tissues of muscles.It has a heme froup that helps bind oxygen.It functions as a storage unit of oxygen and an intracellular oxygen transporter.It has a strong affinity for oxygen than hemoglobin.When body needs more oxygen (for example during anaerobic exercise) Co2 levels are high in blood and also the concentration of lactic acid is high in muscles.This results in release of oxygen by myoglobin.Also because of high affinity for oxygen the partial pressure of oxygen is kept low by myoglobin in muscle cells.So this creates a o2 gradient between muscle tissues and capillaries so that the transportation of oxygen is easier from higher concentration to lower concentration by diffusion.So the importance of myoglobin is a) It maintains an O2 gradient between the tissue and the capillary.