HAEMOGLOBIN: STRUCTURE, PROPERTIES AND BIOMEDICAL FUNCTIONS Hemoglobin is the iron-containing oxygen-transport metalloproteins in the red cells of the blood in mammals and other animals. A spheroidal heme protein having four subunits

Hemoglobin is the iron-containing oxygen-transport metalloproteins in the red cells of the blood in mammals and other animals. A spheroidal heme protein having four subunits each consisting of a globular protein non-covalently bound, with an embedded heme group. Hb has a molecular weight of about 64456. The globular protein units of Hb is made up of two identical pairs of polypeptide chains, i.e. two identical alpha (α)chains containing 141 amino acids and two identical nonα chains (beta(β),gamma(γ),delta(δ) or epsilon (ε) chains. In adult humans the nonα chains are beta (β), containing 146 amino acids. This is denoted as 22 and termed hemoglobin A. The combination of two alpha chains and two gamma chains form fetal hemoglobin, termed hemoglobin F. The product of the delta globin gene is called hemoglobin A2