Medical Conditions - Haemoglobin

Hemoglobin is a molecular protein responsible for transporting oxygen from the lungs to the tissues and carbon dioxide from the tissues to the lungs. It comprises four globulin chains consisting of two alpha and two beta globulin chains in adults. In contrast, hemoglobin in the fetus and newborn is made up of two alpha and two gamma globulin chains, of which beta chains replace the gamma chains after birth. Hemoglobin is below normal in anemia, and it is increased above average in people living in high altitudes and those who smoke.