The red haem-containing protein in red blood cells which is responsible for the transport of oxygen and carbon dioxide in the bloodstream.
A red respiratory pigment formed of haem and globin in red blood cells which gives blood its red colour. It absorbs oxygen in the lungs and carries it in the blood to the tissues.
A red pigment complex of an iron compound, haem, and protein, globin, which is present in red blood cells and carries oxygen from the lungs to body tissues.
The colouring compound which produces the red colour of blood. Haemoglobin is a chromoprotein, made up of a protein called globin and the iron-containing pigment haem.
Haemoglobin is the oxygen-carrying pigment found in red blood cells. Bone marrow produces haemoglobin molecules, composed of four protein chains (two alpha- and two beta-globin) and four haem groups (red pigments containing iron).
Oxygen from the lungs enters the bloodstream and is taken up by red blood cells. There, it chemically combines with the haem in haemoglobin, forming oxyhaemoglobin, which imparts a bright red color to blood in the arteries. In this state, oxygen is transported throughout the body and delivered to the necessary areas. Once the oxyhaemoglobin releases its oxygen, it reverts to haemoglobin, giving blood in the veins its distinctive darker color.
Certain defects in haemoglobin production arise from genetic disorders, and these defects are classified into two types: porphyrias, which are errors in haem production, and haemoglobinopathies, which are errors in globin production. On the other hand, some defects, like certain types of anaemia, have causes unrelated to genetics.