How is the increase in temperature likely to affect the O2 affinity of the fish's hemoglobin, and how could the effect on hemoglobin add even further to the challenge the fish faces? Does global warming pose concerns of this sort?
A fish swims from a body of cool water into a body of warm water. As its body temperature rises, its rate of O2 consumption increases. The warm water, however is likely to have a lower concentration of dissolved O2 than the cool water because the solubility of O2 in water decreases as temperature increases. These two factors taken together, an increase in the fish's rate of O2 consumption and a decrease in the dissolved O2 concentration of its environmental water, can make it difficult for the fish to obtain enough O2 to meet its needs. The two factors can act as a two-pronged trap. Actually, however, the fish may face a three-pronged trap. How is the increase in temperature likely to affect the O2 affinity of the fish's hemoglobin, and how could the effect on hemoglobin add even further to the challenge the fish faces? Does global warming pose concerns of this sort?
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