Respiratory pigment Respiratory pigment A respiratory pigment is a molecule, such as hemoglobin in humans and other vertebrates, that increases the oxygen-carrying capacity of the blood. The four most common invertebrate respiratory pigments are hemoglobin, hemocyanin, hemerythrin and chlorocruorin. Hemoglobin is bright red when oxygenated, and dark red(purplish) when deoxygenated, oxygenated hemocyanin is blue in colour, deoxygenated it is almost colourless. Oxygenated chlorocruorin turns from green to red, whereas oxygenated hemerythrin is a violet to pink colour and colourless when deoxygenated. Any of various coloured conjugated proteins, such as hemoglobin, occur in living organisms and function in oxygen transfer in cellular respiration.
Evolution of human colour vision allow them to see a wider range of the electromagnetic spectrum. Secondly, new random connections would create wavelength opponency and the new wavelength opponent neurons would be much more sensitive than the non-wavelength opponent neurons.This is the result of some wavelength distributions favouring excitation instead of inhibition. Both excitation and inhibition would be features of a neural substrate during the formation of a second pigment. Overall, the advantage gained from increased sensitivity with wavelength opponency would open up opportunities for future exploitation by mutations and even further improvement. Evolution of human colour vision Evolution of human colour vision over time: