Both anemia and carbon monoxide (CO) poisoning can cause severe hypoxia, yet neither condition results in a major stimulation of breathing. Why is this so?

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The peripheral chemoreceptors, which are primarily responsible for detecting changes in blood oxygen levels, respond to low partial pressure of oxygen (hypoxemia) rather than low oxygen content. Both anemia and CO poisoning reduce the oxygen-carrying capacity of the blood without necessarily causing a significant drop in the partial pressure of oxygen. Therefore, they do not majorly stimulate an increase in breathing through the peripheral chemoreceptors.

Both Anemia and Carbon Monoxide (CO) Poisoning Can Cause Severe