Q79 - Physiological Adaptation to High-Altitude Hypoxia
When a person born and brought-up at sea level and then moves to a village at an altitude of 3000 metres above sea level by helicopter, some adaptations of their body occur to compensate for the decreased oxygen pressure at high altitude.
Using the information and data, determine which of the statements are true or which are false.
A. The moment the person arrives at the high altitude, oxyhemoglobin dissociation curve shifts to the left (indicating greater affinity of hemoglobin for oxygen).
B. After several days living at the high altitude, the person's blood viscosity is decreased, enabling his blood to deliver more oxygen to his tissues.
C. After several weeks living at the high altitude, the person's lung cells of this person produce more nitric oxide (NO).
D. Many people who ascend rapidly to high altitude experience some degree of acute mountain sickness (e.g., headache, malaise, and nausea). Which may be treated with a drug that causes bicarbonate to be excreted in the urine.
Question reproduced from IBO 2016, Theoretical Paper B, licensed under CC BY-NC-SA 4.0 - attributed to the International Biology Olympiad. Open the full exam PDF · Community solutions (unofficial)