Question

Drinking a few drops of a commercial preparation called “vitamin O,” which consists of oxygen and sodium chloride dissolved in water, is claimed to increase the concentration of oxygen in the body. (a) Use your knowledge of oxygen transport to evaluate this claim. (b) Would vitamin O be more or less effective if it were infused directly into the bloodstream?

Short answer

1. Drinking a few drops of vitamin O may not be effective in increasing oxygen concentration in the body.
2. Infusing vitamin O directly into the bloodstream might be more effective.

Step-by-step solution

Evaluation of the claim

Hemoglobin transfers oxygen from the lung through the bloodstream to the respiratory tissues, such as muscle. Thus, drinking a preparation containing oxygen dissolved in water may not be effective in increasing the oxygen concentration in the body.

Determination of effectiveness if vitamin O is infused directly into the bloodstream

If vitamin O is infused directly into the bloodstream, the hemoglobin present in the blood will bind to those oxygen molecules.It would transport more oxygen to the respiratory tissue or heart. Thus, vitamin O would be more effective in increasing the oxygen concentration in the body if it were infused directly into the bloodstream.