Nbme 6

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HCO3 isn't carried in the RBC. It's in solution. 😉 It gets exchanged for Cl- after carbonic anhydrase does its thing.

That said, I think I recall hearing that a few of the NBME questions are, in fact, miskeyed. I can't remember where, so take it with some salt.
 
Milkman is correct.

With that, I'm assuming one of the answers was carbaminohgb, which I believe is the correct answer.
 
CO2 is carried in blood in three different ways. (The exact percentages vary depending whether it is arterial or venous blood).
Most of it (about 70% – 80%) is converted to bicarbonate ions HCO3
by the enzyme carbonic anhydrase in the red blood cells,[52] by the reaction CO2 + H2O → H2CO3 → H+ + HCO3

5% – 10% is dissolved in the plasma[52]
5% – 10% is bound to hemoglobin as carbamino compounds[52]

It should just be HCO3 in serum mostly not carbamino.
 
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