Which blood cell type carries oxygen in the bloodstream due to hemoglobin?

Which blood cell type carries oxygen in the bloodstream due to hemoglobin?

• A. Lymphocytes
• B. Monocytes
• C. Erythrocytes
• D. Leukocytes

Answer: (C)

Oxygen transport in the blood is carried by red blood cells. These cells contain hemoglobin, a protein that binds oxygen in the lungs to form oxyhemoglobin and releases it as blood reaches tissues. Hemoglobin has iron-containing heme groups that reversibly bind up to four oxygen molecules, allowing efficient pickup and delivery as blood circulates. The other cell types listed are white blood cells involved in immune responses, not oxygen transport, so they don’t carry oxygen via hemoglobin. Red blood cells are specialized for this job, with a high surface-area-to-volume ratio and no mitochondria, maximizing their capacity to pick up and release oxygen as needed.

Oxygen transport in the blood is carried by red blood cells. These cells contain hemoglobin, a protein that binds oxygen in the lungs to form oxyhemoglobin and releases it as blood reaches tissues. Hemoglobin has iron-containing heme groups that reversibly bind up to four oxygen molecules, allowing efficient pickup and delivery as blood circulates. The other cell types listed are white blood cells involved in immune responses, not oxygen transport, so they don’t carry oxygen via hemoglobin. Red blood cells are specialized for this job, with a high surface-area-to-volume ratio and no mitochondria, maximizing their capacity to pick up and release oxygen as needed.