hemoglobin

he·mo·glo·bin   (hē'mə-glō'bĭn)    n.   Abbr. Hb or hg or hgb. The iron-containing respiratory pigment in red blood cells of vertebrates, consisting of about 6 percent heme and 94 percent globin. [Ultimately short for hematinoglobulin : hematin + globulin.]

hemoglobin [(hee-muh-gloh-bin)]

A complex organic molecule containing iron that carries oxygen in the blood.

Note: Hemoglobin gives blood its characteristic red color.

hemoglobin 

Main Entry: he·mo·glo·bin
Variant: or chiefly British hae·mo·glo·bin /'hE-m&-"glO-b&n/
Function:noun
1 : an iron-containing respiratory pigment of vertebrate red blood cells that functions primarily in the transport of oxygen from the lungs to the tissues of the body,that consists of four polypeptide chains designated alpha, beta, gamma, and delta each of which is linked to a heme molecule, that combines loosely and reversibly with oxygen in the lungs or gills toform oxyhemoglobin and with carbon dioxide in the tissues to form carbhemoglobin, that in humans is present normally in blood to the extent of 14 to 16 grams in 100 milliliters expressed sometimes on ascale of 0 to 100 with an average normal value (as 15 grams) taken as 100, and that is determined in blood either colorimetrically or by quantitative estimation of the iron present —see FETAL HEMOGLOBIN; —compare CARBOXYHEMOGLOBIN, METHEMOGLOBIN
2 : any of numerous iron-containing respiratorypigments of invertebrates and some plants (as yeasts) —he·mo·glo·bin·ic or chiefly British hae·mo·glo·bin·ic /"hE-m&-glO-'bin-ik/ adjective —he·mo·glo·bi·nous or chiefly British hae·mo·glo·bi·nous /-'glO-b&-n&s/ adjective

hemoglobin he·mo·glo·bin (hē'mə-glō'bĭn)
n.
Abbr. Hb
The red respiratory protein of red blood cells that transports oxygen as oxyhemoglobin from the lungs to the tissues, where the oxygen is readily released and the oxyhemoglobin becomes hemoglobin.