The oxygen content of water increases linearly with an increase in oxygen partial pressure, while the oxygen content of blood increases in a sigmoidal S- shaped) fashion. Why? A) The Bohr shift is stronger in water than in blood. B) Carbonic anhydrase contributes to CO₂release in blood, but not water. C) Hemoglobin shows cooperative oxygen binding. D) All of the above answers apply.

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Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Hemoglobin shows cooperative oxygen binding, which means that the binding of one oxygen molecule increases the affinity for the next molecule. This leads to the sigmoidal shape of the oxygen dissociation curve in blood. Water, on the other hand, does not contain hemoglobin and therefore does not exhibit cooperative oxygen binding. The Bohr shift and carbonic anhydrase do play a role in regulating oxygen release in blood but are not the primary reasons for the difference in oxygen content vs. partial pressure relationship between water and blood.

The Oxygen Content of Water Increases Linearly with an Increase