Page 84 - Consciousness in the Cell

CONSCIOUSNESS IN THE CELL

HEMOGLOBIN—THE BLOOD'S

OXYGEN HUNTER

Red blood cells carry oxygen to every cell in our body. While
the oxygen molecules are flowing freely in blood, the red blood
cells need to capture them, with the use of a protein called hemo-
globin.
A red blood cell is designed especially for carrying hemoglo-
bin, which takes up 90% of the cell. Organelles like the nucleus
and mitochondria, found in other cells, are lacking in red blood
cells, leaving room so that their hemoglobin can capture enough
oxygen.
Under no circumstances does hemoglobin make contact with
oxygen molecule; because if it did, it would oxidize and thus, not
allow any oxygen to
reach other cells. But
under normal circum-
stances it does not have
to come into contact
with oxygen as it has
been created in a very
special manner so as not
to face this danger.
Instead, it holds the
oxygen molecule as if
with a pair of tongs.
How does hemoglo-
bin capture oxygen?
Hemoglobin protein is
composed of four sub-
HEME GROUPS
units, each containing

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