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Why can CO/CO2 easily block out O2 of the blood cells, and not opposite?
I have a question about the chemistry of the human body. Why can CO/CO2 easily block out O2 of the blood cells, and not the opposite?
Great question! Hemoglobin, the protein in red blood cells that carries oxygen, has a much higher affinity for carbon monoxide and carbon dioxide than it does for oxygen. The carbon monoxide and dioxide molecules bond more strongly to the hemoglobin, which then prevents oxygen from binding.