Abstract:

Animal Hb plays important roles not only in transportation and storage of oxygen but also in regulation of pH value, control of nitric oxide levels, participation in immune responses, binding and transportion of sulfide and other biological functions, which has attracted research interests of scholars because it is an ideal molecule with which to study biological multifunctions of proteins. In the present paper, we review the molecular structure and biological function of animal Hb base on recent research advances and a large number of academic literature in this field.

Key words: hemoglobin; vertebrate; invertebrate; molecular structure; biological function