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7.Human Health and Disease
normal
Why carbon monoxide ($CO$) poisonous for man?
A
It affects the nerves of the lungs
B
It affects the diaphragm and intercostals muscles
C
It reacts with oxygen reducing percentage of oxygen in air
D
Haemoglobin combines with carbon monoxide instead of oxygen and the product cannot dissociate
Solution
If a person respires in air containing normal amount of oxygen $(21 \%)$ and small amount of carbon monoxide, he suffers from suffocation because haemoglobin combines with carbon monoxide to form a stable compound. The affinity of haemoglobin to carbon monoxide is about $250$ times more than for oxygen. $0.1 \%$ of carbon monoxide blocks $50 \%$ Hb of the body due to which the oxygen carrying capacity of blood is decreased. This is called hypoxia.
Standard 12
Biology
