Hemoglobin the iron gets recycled. This process also produces one molecule of carbon monoxide for every molecule of heme degraded. Heme degradation is one of the few natural sources of carbon monoxide in the human body, and is responsible for the normal blood levels of carbon monoxide even in people breathing pure air. The other major final product of heme degradation is bilirubin. Increased levels of this chemical are detected in the blood if red blood cells are being destroyed more rapidly than usual. Improperly degraded hemoglobin protein or hemoglobin that has been released from the blood cells too rapidly can
Hemoglobin variants conditions that involve the red blood cells. Elevated Hemoglobin F levels are also associated with Leukemia and myeloproliferative disorders. Hemoglobin H increases the affinity for oxygen. This means that it holds onto the oxygen instead of releasing it into tissue and cells. Hb H usually occurs in some alpha thalassemia and is composed of four beta globin (protein) chains. This variant is usually produced in response to a severe shortage of alpha chains, and usually cause beta chains to function abnormally. Hemoglobin variants Hemoglobin variants are mutant forms of hemoglobin in a population (usually of humans), caused by variations in