Page 264 - Biochemistry PharmD General

Hemoglobin catabolism

• Red blood cells contain oxygen carrying pigments of a conjugated
protein.

• Protein part is Globin.

• Non-protein prosthetic group is Heme.

• Heme contains four pyrrole (tetrapyrrole) groups
held together by an iron atom.

• Old red blood cells degraded in the spleen.

• Globin is hydrolyzed into amino acids.

• Iron atom stored in a protein (ferritin)

• Tetrapyrrole degraded to bile pigments 263