Compared to Adult Hemoglobin, Fetal Hemoglobin

Question

Compared to adult hemoglobin, fetal hemoglobin
A)binds iron more strongly.
B)has more hemoglobin subunits.
C)binds oxygen more readily.
D)has more heme units.

Accepted Answer

Fetal hemoglobin has a higher binding affinity for oxygen than adult hemoglobin. This is because fetal hemoglobin contains two alpha and two gamma subunits, whereas adult hemoglobin has two alpha and two beta subunits. The gamma subunits in fetal hemoglobin have a higher affinity for oxygen than the beta subunits in adult hemoglobin.