Asked by Hailie Amrhein on Jul 24, 2024

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The respiratory advantage provided by a four-chambered heart over a three-chambered heart in vertebrates is

A) the combining of oxygen-rich blood with oxygen-poor blood.
B) a reduction in the amount of hemoglobin required.
C) decreased dependency on lungs.
D) separation of oxygen-rich blood and oxygen-poor blood.
E) a greater surface area for the diffusion of oxygen into the blood.

Four-chambered Heart

A type of heart structure found in mammals and birds, consisting of two atria and two ventricles, allowing for efficient separation of oxygenated and deoxygenated blood.

Hemoglobin

Iron-containing respiratory pigment occurring in vertebrate red blood cells and in the blood plasma of some invertebrates.

Oxygen-rich Blood

Blood that has been oxygenated in the lungs and is being transported by the arteries to the rest of the body.

  • Understand the evolutionary advantages of various respiratory systems in vertebrates.
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MS
Muhammd SaleemJul 30, 2024
Final Answer :
D
Explanation :
A four-chambered heart provides a separation of oxygen-rich blood and oxygen-poor blood, which allows for more efficient respiration by ensuring that oxygen-poor blood does not mix with oxygen-rich blood, thus maximizing the amount of oxygen that can be delivered to the body. This is not the case in a three-chambered heart, where oxygen-rich and oxygen-poor blood mix in a single chamber before being pumped to the body.