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Q2 - Hemoglobin Oxygen Affinity in Two Amazonian Fish

Theoretical B Real exam question - full text reproduced under IBO's CC BY-NC-SA 4.0 license
Respiratory Physiology

Fish vary in the way they take up oxygen. The precise uptake is reflected in their hemoglobin dissociation curve, and its shape is determined both by phylogeny and the habitat of the fish (Fig.).

Hemoglobin dissociation curves for two species of fish Osteoglossum bicirrhosum and Arapaima gigas.

Figure 1. Figure 1.

Using the information and data, determine which of the statements are true or which are false.

A. O. bicirrhosum lives in faster-running water than A. gigas
B. O. bicirrhosum has a lower metabolic rate than A. gigas
C. O. bicirrhosum is an air breather (going to the surface), whereas A. gigas is a gill-breather
D. O. bicirrhosum lives at the surface, whereas A. gigas is a deep water species
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Question reproduced from IBO 2015, Theoretical Exam B, licensed under CC BY-NC-SA 4.0 - attributed to the International Biology Olympiad. Open the full exam PDF · Community solutions (unofficial)