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The haemoglobin of a human foetus:

1. has a lower affinity for oxygen than that of the adult.
2. has affinity for oxygen is the same as that of an adult.
3. has only 2 protein subunits instead of 4.
4. has a higher affinity for oxygen than that of an adult.

Correct answer: has a higher affinity for oxygen than that of an adult.

Solution

Fetal hemoglobin binds oxygen more tightly than adult hemoglobin, which helps the fetus extract oxygen from the mother’s blood across the placenta. This higher affinity is due to differences in globin chains and reduced interaction with 2,3-BPG.

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