Question

What is the relationship between oxygen binding strength and oxygen transport efficiency?

	a.	Hemoglobin binds oxygen tighter than myoglobin, therefore hemoglobin is a better O2 transporter
	b.	Myoglobin binds oxygen tighter than hemoglobin, therefore myoglobin is a better O2 transporter
	c.	Hemoglobin binds oxygen weaker than myoglobin, therefore hemoglobin is a better O2 transporter
	d.	Myoglobin binds oxygen weaker than hemoglobin, therefore myoglobin is a better O2 transporter

Answer 1

ANSWER - CORRECT OPTION IS C

haemoglobin binds oxygen weaker than myoglobin , therefore heaemoglobin is a better O2 transporter.

when we compare the two, we find that the myoglobin have stronger binding affinity for oxygen initially and thus makes it binding more tighter with oxygen as compared to haemoglobin, but this doesnot mean that myoglobin is a better oxygen transporter, the better oxygen transporter is haemoglobin only, because of the conformational structure of the moelcule as well as the different 4 binding sites where oxygen can bind up and the binding affinity increases with each subsequent binding, therefore, one can say that haemoglobin is a better oxygen transporter than myoglobin though initially the affinity of oxygen binding is more of myoglobin but that doesnt make it a better oxygen transporter.

hence, correct answer is c