How much oxygen can hemoglobin carry?
Also question is, how much oxygen can one red blood cell carry?
In fact, hemoglobin is composed of four globin proteins—two alpha chains and two beta chains—each with a heme group. The heme group contains one iron atom, and this can bind one molecule of oxygen. Because each molecule of hemoglobin contains four globins, it can carry up to four molecules of oxygen.
Correspondingly, how does hemoglobin carry oxygen?
Hemoglobin: The protein inside red blood cells (a) that carries oxygen to cells and carbon dioxide to the lungs is hemoglobin (b). Hemoglobin is made up of four symmetrical subunits and four heme groups. Iron associated with the heme binds oxygen. It is the iron in hemoglobin that gives blood its red color.
Quick Reference. The maximum amount of oxygen the blood can transport. It depends mainly on the haemoglobin content of the blood. From: blood oxygen-carrying capacity in The Oxford Dictionary of Sports Science & Medicine »