Question

Which one of the following statements regarding CO gas is correct?
A. It is produced by the complete combustion of fossil fuels.
B. It combines with haemoglobin to form carbamino-haemoglobin.
C. It impairs oxygen transport resulting in giddiness, headache, asphyxia and even death.
D. All of the above

Answer 1

Hint: Carbon monoxide is a colorless, odorless, tasteless and flammable gas which is slightly less dense than air. The carbon monoxide gas consists of a single carbon atom and a single oxygen atom. Carbon monoxide is the simplest molecule of the oxo-carbon family. The ligand of carbon monoxide is called carbonyl in coordination complexes. The most common source of carbon monoxide is thermal combustion.

Complete answer:
Option A It is produced by the complete combustion of fossil fuels: Fossil fuels contain carbon and hydrogen. Carbon and hydrogen combine with oxygen during complete combustion to produce carbon dioxide and water. The incomplete combustion of carbon leads to the production of soot or carbon monoxide. Since complete combustion does not produce carbon monoxide.
So, option A is not correct.
Option B It combines with haemoglobin to form carbamino-haemoglobin: A compound of hemoglobin and carbon dioxide is known as carbamino-haemoglobin and is one of the forms in which carbon dioxide exists in blood. Carbaminohaemoglobin is formed when carbon dioxide binds to haemoglobin, which further lowers the haemoglobin’s affinity for oxygen via the Bohr effect. Since carbon monoxide does not form carbamino-haemoglobin, when combined with haemoglobin.
So, option B is not correct.
Option C It impairs oxygen transport resulting in giddiness, headache, asphyxia and even death: Inhaling combustion fumes causes carbon monoxide poisoning. Too much carbon monoxide in air causes the body to replace oxygen in red blood cells with carbon monoxide, hence preventing oxygen from reaching the tissues and organs. This further results in giddiness, headache, asphyxia and even death.
Hence option C is the correct answer.
Option D All of these: Since options A and B are wrong.
So, option D is not correct.

Therefore, Option C. It impairs oxygen transport resulting in giddiness, headache, asphyxia and even death is the correct answer.

Note:
Breathing in carbon monoxide at excessive levels causes carbon monoxide poisoning. Symptoms of carbon monoxide poisoning are often described as flu-like and commonly include headache, dizziness, weakness, vomiting, chest pain, and confusion. Loss of consciousness, arrhythmias, seizures, or even death can be caused from large exposure to carbon monoxide. Chronic fatigue, trouble with memory, and movement problems are some long-term complications.