Carbon Monoxide and Pregnancy
Biology
Level
1
Pregnant women are often warned to avoid smoking cigarettes. If a woman does smoke, how high will the levels of carbon monoxide (CO) be in the fetus compared to the levels in the mother?
CO levels will be higher in the fetus than in the mother
No CO will reach the fetus
CO levels will be the same in the fetus and the mother
CO levels will be lower in the fetus than in the mother
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1 solution
Relevant wiki: Hemoglobin
Fetal hemoglobin has a higher binding affinity than adult hemoglobin and carbon monoxide has a higher binding affinity than oxygen, so a greater proportion of carbon monoxide will end up in the fetal blood supply. Levels are often 10-15% higher in the fetus than in the mother.