If a man inhales carbon monoxide along with oxygen, he suffers from suffocation. It is because carbon monoxide

Options

A. affects the muscles involved in breathing
B. affects nerves controlling breathing
C. forms a stable compound with oxygen
D. forms a stable compound with haemoglobin

Answer

**Step-by-Step Solution:**

1. **Understanding the Role of Hemoglobin:**
- Hemoglobin is a protein in red blood cells that is responsible for transporting oxygen from the lungs to the rest of the body. It binds with oxygen to form a compound called oxyhemoglobin.

2. **Inhalation of Carbon Monoxide:**
- When a person inhales carbon monoxide (CO) along with oxygen (O2), the carbon monoxide competes with oxygen for binding sites on hemoglobin.

3. **Formation of Carboxyhemoglobin:**
- Instead of oxygen binding to hemoglobin, carbon monoxide binds to it, forming a compound known as carboxyhemoglobin. This occurs because carbon monoxide has a much higher affinity for hemoglobin compared to oxygen.

4. **Affinity Difference:**
- The affinity of carbon monoxide for hemoglobin is 200-300 times greater than that of oxygen. This means that even a small amount of carbon monoxide can significantly reduce the amount of oxygen that can be transported in the bloodstream.

5. **Consequences of Binding:**
- When carbon monoxide binds to hemoglobin, it prevents oxygen from binding effectively. This leads to a decrease in the amount of oxygen available to the body’s tissues, resulting in suffocation or hypoxia (lack of oxygen).

6. **Conclusion:**
- Therefore, the reason a person suffers from suffocation when inhaling carbon monoxide along with oxygen is that carbon monoxide binds to hemoglobin more effectively than oxygen, forming carboxyhemoglobin and inhibiting the transport of oxygen.

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