One molecule of hemoglobin is made up of 4 single protein strands, each "globin" wrapped around a disk-like heme that carries oxygen. A single protein strand is called its "tertiary (3) structure".

 

Four strands assemble together so that, like a ball glove, it can carry its object, oxygen, tightly, and release it at the right moment. Whenever a protein has several different strands, they call it a "quartenary (4) structure".

Look deeper into a hemoglobin strand


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