Heme Complex, Myoglobin, Hemoglobin

[Mrudula Akkinepally]

Do we need to know the mechanisms of myoglobin, hemoglobin, and the heme complex? Or do we just need to recognize them as a biological application of coordination compounds?

[Sean Wang 1F]

I think we should at least know the basics because we spent a pretty long time discussing it in lecture.

[EmilyGillen_1A]

I think the important parts to remember about what he talked about is how those complexes work on a basic level. Like when he talked about the complex that can help stop cancer, its important to know why the trans-platten does not work but the cit-platten does (sorry if I'm not spelling them right). The functionality of these changes because the trans-platten causes a symmetry within the polarity vectors, making the complex stable; the cis- version does not have that symmetry and is therefore effective in attaching to DNA. And as for the complexes that can bind to iron, I would understand how those complexes can interchange a C or H for a different molecule of another complex, allowing for the attachment of iron in blood. But I would not worry too much about them.