Question

Why do people living in higher altitude have possess Haemoglobin which has decreased affinity for oxygen

Answer 1

Dear student,

People living at higher altitude have low affinity of oxygen for haemoglobin due to decrease in atmospheric pressure. The partial pressure of oxygen at which they saturate with haemoglobin decreases at higher altitude. So less oxygen combine with haemoglobin. People living at higher altitude have adapted in such a way that amount of haemoglobin increases which increases the amount of oxygen being carried. Therefore oxygen dissociation curve shifts towards left at higher altitude due to decrease in percentage saturation of haemoglobin with carbon dioxide.

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