What is the potential harm caused by carbon monoxide attaching to hemoglobin?

The potential harm caused by carbon monoxide attaching to hemoglobin is primarily hypemic hypoxia. When carbon monoxide enters the bloodstream, it competes with oxygen for binding sites on hemoglobin in red blood cells. This binding forms carboxyhemoglobin, which reduces the overall oxygen-carrying capacity of the blood. As a result, even if the lungs are delivering enough oxygen, the blood is unable to transport sufficient oxygen to body tissues, leading to hypoxia, or deficiency in the amount of oxygen reaching the tissues.

In hypemic hypoxia, the body cells are starved of oxygen, which can lead to impaired cellular function and, if prolonged, can result in serious health consequences, including organ damage or failure. Thus, the presence of carbon monoxide not only diminishes the delivery of oxygen but does so in a way that can cause significant physiological harm, making this answer the most accurate in the context of the effects of carbon monoxide exposure.