Question

e erythrocyte (red blood cell) count increases after a while when an individual goes from a low to a high altitude because the ________. The erythrocyte (red blood cell) count increases after a while when an individual goes from a low to a high altitude because the ________. basal metabolic rate is higher at high altitudes temperature is lower at higher altitudes concentration of oxygen and/or total atmospheric pressure is higher at higher altitudes concentration of oxygen and/or total atmospheric pressure is lower at high altitudes

Answer 1

The answer is; concentration of oxygen and/or total atmospheric pressure is lower at high altitudes

This means that at high altitude, due to the low pressure, every breath has a lower oxygen content than at a lower altitude. This, therefore, necessitates the body to increase the erythrocyte numbers in the blood to maximize the uptake of oxygen from the thinner air.