Advanced Patient Assessment Practice Exam

What is the primary role of hemoglobin in the blood?

1. Transport nutrients

2. Fight infections

3. Carry oxygen

4. Regulate body temperature

The correct answer is: Carry oxygen

Hemoglobin's primary role in the blood is to carry oxygen from the lungs to the tissues throughout the body. This critical function is facilitated by its ability to bind to oxygen molecules in areas of high oxygen concentration, such as the lungs, and release them in areas of low concentration, such as actively metabolizing tissues. Furthermore, hemoglobin is also involved in transporting a small portion of carbon dioxide, a metabolic waste product, back to the lungs for exhalation, but its main function remains oxygen transport. This distinction highlights the importance of hemoglobin in maintaining cellular respiration and overall metabolic activities, which are essential for life. The other roles mentioned, such as transporting nutrients, fighting infections, and regulating body temperature, do not pertain to hemoglobin. Nutrient transport is largely the function of various plasma proteins and lipoproteins. The immune system is responsible for fighting infections, while body temperature regulation is managed by various physiological mechanisms including blood flow and perspiration.