Oxygen content of whole blood is dependent on how much oxygen is dissolved in plasma and oxygen carrying capacity. According to Henry’s Law, in order to calculate the amount of oxygen dissolved in the plasma, we would need to know solubility of oxygen and
[ Select ]
Molecular weight of O2
Alveolar pO2
. In order to calculate oxygen carrying capacity, we would need to multiply 1.34 ml O2/g Hb by
[ Select ]
Hb g %
HCT
.

Question

Oxygen content of whole blood is dependent on how much oxygen is dissolved in plasma and oxygen carrying capacity. According to Henry’s Law, in order to calculate the amount of oxygen dissolved in the plasma, we would need to know solubility of oxygen and 
[ Select ]
Molecular weight of O2
Alveolar pO2
 . In order to calculate oxygen carrying capacity, we would need to multiply 1.34 ml O2/g Hb by 
[ Select ]
Hb g %
HCT
 .

BlackTom AI · Accepted Answer

According to Henry’s Law, the concentration of a gas dissolved in a liquid is directly proportional to its partial pressure above the liquid: C = α × p (where C is concentration dissolved, α is the solubility coefficient, and p is the gas partial pressure). For oxygen in blood the relevant partial pressure is the pO2 (commonly alveolar or arterial pO2). Oxygen bound to hemoglobin is calculated from the oxygen-carrying capacity per gram of hemoglobin multiplied by the hemoglobin concentration (g per dL).

1) Relevant knowledge points and concepts
- Henry’s Law: dissolved O2 (ml O2/100 ml blood) = solubility (α ≈ 0.003 ml O2/100 ml/mmHg) × pO2 (mmHg).
- Oxygen bound to Hb: O2 bound = 1.34 ml O2 per g Hb × hemoglobin concentration (g/dL, often written as “Hb g %”).
- Hematocrit (HCT) is the volume fraction of red cells; it correlates with Hb but is not the direct factor in the 1.34× formula.

2) Step-by-step reasoning
- To compute dissolved O2 you need α and the relevant pO2: therefore alveolar (or arterial) pO2 is required.
- To compute Hb-bound O2 you multiply 1.34 ml/g by the hemoglobin concentration in g/dL (Hb g %).

3) Sample calculation (all intermediate steps)
- If pO2 = 100 mmHg, dissolved O2 = 0.003 ml/100 ml/mmHg × 100 mmHg = 0.3 ml O2/100 ml blood.
- If Hb = 15 g/dL, bound O2 = 1.34 ml/g × 15 g/dL = 20.1 ml O2/100 ml blood.
- Total O2 content ≈ 20.1 + 0.3 = 20.4 ml O2/100 ml blood.

4) Why the correct answer is correct
- Henry’s Law directly requires pO2 as the driving variable for dissolved O2, so “Alveolar pO2” is the correct choice.
- The oxygen-carrying capacity formula uses hemoglobin concentration in g/dL, so “Hb g %” is required to compute O2 bound to Hb.

5) Why other options are incorrect
- Molecular weight of O2 is irrelevant for Henry’s Law concentration calculation in biological units (ml O2/100 ml/mmHg).
- Hematocrit (HCT) is related to but not the direct variable in the 1.34 ml/g Hb formula; you would need to convert HCT to Hb to use it.

6) Conclusion
The correct selections are Alveolar pO2 and Hb g %, matching the provided answer.

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