Suppose you are whitewater rafting high in the Andes above 1

Suppose you are whitewater rafting high in the Andes above 15,000 ft and you fall into the frigid, near-freezing water. The current is sweeping you away. To save yourself, you kick and swim to the nearest point of land. It takes you 5 minutes to do so and you are hypothermic due to the cold water and anoxic due to holding your breath while the current repeatedly dragged you down under. Which of these is true concerning the state of hemoglobin in your red blood cells once you get to shore? (Choose One)

A) Oxygen affinity is left shifted in hemoglobin of the capillaries in the lung.

B) Oxygen affinity is right shifted in the hemoglobin closest to your leg muscle fibers.

C) Oxygen saturation potential is reduced in the hemoglobin closest to your leg muscle fibers.

D) DPG levels in the blood were elevated before you went in the water, causing a right shift in affinity in hemoglobin.

E) All of the above

Solution

Due to cold temperature of water and anoxic conditions, the oxygen affinity is shifted to left increasing the O₂ affinity to hemoglobin in capillaries in the lung inorder to maintain the body temperature and make available of oxygen to breathe. At leg muscles the affinity of oxygen to hemoglobin is reduced (right shift) and due to this the O₂ saturation potential is decreased. Further, DPG (Diphospho glycerate) levels in blood were elevated causing a right shift in affinity in hemoglobin. Option E is correct.