Hemoglobin

 

 

At least six different haemoglobins appear during the developmental stages of the man. Of these 3 are present during adulthood. These three haemoglobins are HbF (fetal haemoglobin), present at less than 1% in the adult, HbA2, present at around the 3% in the adult and the main adult haemoglobin HbA (97%). These haemoglobins differ in the non alpha-like globin chains i.e. HbF has two gamma chains, HbA2 has two delta chains and HbA has two beta chains. Each haemoglobin has also a different oxygen dissociation curve.