Tom is choking on a piece of steak that is stuck in his trachea, and he signals for his young son to call 911.It takes the paramedics four minutes to reach his house.Will this be in time to save Tom (and why), or will Tom already be dead (and why)?
A)Tom will be alive since the myoglobin in his muscles will release oxygen into the blood after he stops breathing.
B)Tom will be dead due to the lowered pH of his blood.
C)Tom will be dead since all the hemoglobin in his arterial blood will unload its oxygen during the first pass through the tissues after his last breath.
D)Tom will be alive since he had a reserve of about three-quarters of his hemoglobin still bound to oxygen when he started choking.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Tom will be alive because the body has a reserve of oxygen bound to hemoglobin, which can sustain him for a few minutes even after he stops breathing.

Tom Is Choking on a Piece of Steak That Is