Question: Why is our blood based on iron but other animals like octopie have blood based on copper?

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  1. Great question!!!

    Octopus blood contains the copper-rich protein hemocyanin for transporting oxygen. Although less efficient under normal conditions than the iron-rich hemoglobin of vertebrates, in cold conditions with low oxygen pressure, hemocyanin oxygen transportation is more efficient than hemoglobin oxygen transportation.

    So, basically, it uses copper because it lives in a cold environment with less oxygen than us.
    And we use iron because its warmer and oxygen is more freely available!

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  2. Good one, Hannah!

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  3. Well put Hanna

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