Question Details

Assertion (A) :
A person goes to high altitude and experiences ‘altitude sickness’ with symptoms like breathing difficulty and heart palpitations.
Reason (R) :
Due to low atmospheric pressure at high altitude, the body does not get sufficient oxygen.
In the light of the above statements, choose the correct answer from the options given below.

Options

Both (A) and (R) are true and (R) is the correct explanation of (A)

Both (A) and (R) are true but (R) is not the correct explanation of (A)

(A) is true but (R) is false

(A) is false but (R) is true

Show Answer

Correct Answer :

Option A

Both (A) and (R) are true and (R) is the correct explanation of (A)

Solution :

The correct option is: Both (A) and (R) are true and (R) is the correct explanation of (A).

Step-by-step Explanation:

1. Analysis of Assertion (A):
Assertion (A) states that a person traveling to high altitude experiences 'altitude sickness', which includes symptoms like breathing difficulty and heart palpitations. This statement is physiologically true. When a person quickly ascends to high altitudes (typically above 8,000 feet or 2,400 meters), their body does not immediately adapt to the changed atmospheric conditions, leading to altitude sickness (acute mountain sickness). Typical symptoms include breathlessness, fatigue, headache, nausea, and heart palpitations.

2. Analysis of Reason (R):
Reason (R) states that due to low atmospheric pressure at high altitude, the body does not get sufficient oxygen. This statement is also scientifically true. At high altitudes, the atmospheric pressure decreases. Consequently, the partial pressure of oxygen in the air decreases, making it harder for oxygen to diffuse from the lungs into the blood. This reduction in oxygen saturation in the blood means the body's tissues do not receive a sufficient amount of oxygen (hypoxia).

3. Evaluating the Connection between (A) and (R):
The physiological symptoms of altitude sickness (such as breathing difficulty and heart palpitations) described in Assertion (A) are the body's direct compensatory mechanisms and responses to the lack of sufficient oxygen (hypoxia) described in Reason (R). The body increases the breathing rate to intake more oxygen and increases the heart rate (leading to palpitations) to pump oxygenated blood more rapidly to the tissues. Therefore, Reason (R) is the correct explanation for Assertion (A).