When bar-headed geese fly at very high altitudes (possibly over Mount Everest!), they breathe very thin air where the partial pressure of oxygen is very low compared to that at sea level. Which of the following adaptions would help the geese efficiently exchange gases when flying at high altitudes?
A) hemoglobin that has a high affinity for oxygen
B) hemoglobin that has a high affinity for carbon dioxide
C) hemoglobin that has a low affinity for carbon dioxide
D) hemoglobin that has a low affinity for oxygen

hemoglobin that has a high affinity for oxygen

Explanation:

Haemoglobin is the oxygen carrying pigment in blood. It performs this function because of the presence of iron at the center of the haemoglobin which coordinates reversibly with oxygen thereby aiding delivery of oxygen to cells. At high altitudes where air is thinner and the partial pressure of oxygen is lower than sea level, haemoglobin must develop a greater affinity for oxygen in order to carry the scarce oxygen to cells.

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