Abstract
Nature has evolved three fundamentally different molecular devices to serve as oxygen carriers in support of animal respiration. The striking color and abundant supply of these proteins has made them frequent subjects of study. Hemoglobin is the familiar red substance in the blood of humans and many other animals; hemocyanin is the blue pigment in the blood of many molluscs and arthropods; and hemerythrin is the burgundy colored protein in the body fluids of a few minor invertebrate phyla. There is considerable diversity in the physiological parameters and in the structure and symmetry of hemoglobins and hemocyanins. It appears from recent work that the less thoroughly studied hemerythrin family also exhibits such diversity although the basic framework of the protein and active center appear to be conserved through evolution.
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Hendrickson, W.A., Smith, J.L., Sheriff, S. (1985). Structure and Function of Hemerythrins. In: Lamy, J., Truchot, JP., Gilles, R. (eds) Respiratory Pigments in Animals. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-70616-5_1
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-70616-5_1
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