| the oxygen-carrying pigment of red blood cells that gives them their red color and serves to convey oxygen to the tissues: occurs in reduced form (deoxyhemoglobin) in venous blood and in combination with oxygen (oxyhemoglobin) in arterial blood. Symbol: Hb |
A complex organic molecule containing iron that carries oxygen in the blood.
Note: Hemoglobin gives blood its characteristic red color.
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.
oxyhemoglobin ox·y·he·mo·glo·bin (ŏk'sē-hē'mə-glō'bĭn)
n.
Hemoglobin in combination with oxygen, present in arterial blood. Also called oxygenated hemoglobin.