Hemoglobin
The iron-containing protein in red blood cells that carries oxygen from lungs to tissues and carbon dioxide back. What makes blood red.
Used in the Books
This term appears in 2 chapters:
"...enetic mutations producing the same functional outcome. This is particularly well-studied in cases of parallel adaptation to extreme environments. Hemoglobin adaptations to high altitude: Humans living at high altitude in the Andes, Tibet, and Ethiopia have independently evolved physiological adaptations..."
"...utionary innovation - since one copy maintains essential function, the other is free to experiment with variations that might confer new advantages. Hemoglobin exemplifies functional redundancy through gene families. Adult humans produce hemoglobin from alpha-globin and beta-globin genes."
Biological Context
Each hemoglobin molecule carries up to four oxygen molecules. Hemoglobin's affinity for oxygen changes with pH, temperature, and CO2 levels, enabling efficient oxygen delivery where needed. Anemia involves insufficient hemoglobin. Carbon monoxide poisoning works by blocking hemoglobin's oxygen-binding sites.
Business Application
Organizational hemoglobin: the systems that carry vital resources from where they're abundant to where they're needed. Cash flow systems, supply chains, and information networks all perform hemoglobin-like functions.