In the context of hypemic hypoxia, the term 'hypemic' refers to which fact about the blood?

• A. Not enough oxygen in the lungs.
• B. Not enough blood.
• C. Excess carbon dioxide in the blood.
• D. Excess oxygen in the bloodstream.

Answer: (B)

Hypemic hypoxia centers on the blood’s ability to carry oxygen. When the blood has insufficient functional hemoglobin or hemoglobin that can’t bind oxygen effectively (as in anemia, significant blood loss, or carbon monoxide interference), the body can’t transport enough oxygen to tissues even though lungs may be delivering it normally. In this sense, the issue is not the amount of blood in the body, but the blood’s capacity to carry and deliver oxygen. The other ideas point to problems with getting oxygen into the blood from the lungs, or to high CO2 or O2 levels, which are not the cause of hypemic hypoxia.