Page 126 - The Miracle of Protein

124

Proteins:

The Body’s

Tireless

Engines

So far, we have described protein molecules' special struc-

tures and how they are manufactured in the cell. When we ex-
amine proteins' functions, we again encounter many other of
miracles of creation.

Hemoglobin: Oxygen-Hunting
Protein in the Blood

One feature of blood that makes it indispensable for life is
the proteins it contains. The bloodstream is the ideal place
where special proteins can discharge their duties because blood

transmits its contents wherever they are required by means of
the circulatory network of tubes reaching all points of the body.
Every day, for example, the hemoglobin protein in the red
blood cells carries 600 liters of oxygen to the 100 trillion or so