Difference between myoglobin and hemoglobin

[Russell Chuang 1J]

What's the difference between myoglobin and hemoglobin and what accounts for this difference?

[Aditya Desai 1A]

not sure if this is needed to be known for class but myoglobin = oxygen storage and one monomer, hemoglobin = oxygen transport and four subunits

[Rebekah Han 2K]

Myoglobin provides oxygen to muscle while hemoglobin provides oxygen to blood. Hemoglobin consists of 4 myoglobin-like molecules and can transport four O2.

[Vivek Chotai 2C]

Hemoglobin consists of myoglobin. It takes 4 molecules of myoglobin to form 1 molecule of hemoglobin.

[Gabby Burgess 2I]

Myoglobin is the heme complex + protein and accounts for the transport of oxygen to muscle cells. Hemoglobin is the exact same in terms of function, but it's 4 myoglobin molecules instead of 1.

[Justin An 2L]

From what I learned back in the LS series, hemoglobin is found in blood cells and is directly involved in gas exchange between lungs and cells whereas myoglobin is primarily found in muscle cells. Furthermore, a key difference between the two is the myoglobin has a higher affinity for oxygen than hemoglobin. This is because when oxygen binds to myoglobin, the iron group's oxidation state of +2 turns into +3, allowing the oxygen bound to the iron group to have a negative charge, further stabilizing it. Overall, myoglobin's role is to be an "oxygen-storage" protein in muscle cells.

[Aryan Gajjar 3D]

Myoglobin is a monomeric protein found mostly in muscle tissue that acts as an intracellular oxygen storage site. Hemoglobin is a heterotetrameric oxygen transport protein found in erythrocytes.

[Jessica Servoss 1H]

Hemoglobin and myoglobin have similar purposes in biological systems - the transportation and storage of oxygen. Hemoglobin is made up of 4 myoglobin-like molecules, leading to hemoglobin being able to carry twice as much oxygen in our bodies.

[Sasha Gladkikh 2A]

Hi,

Here are the similarities and differences between myoglobin and hemoglobin:

Myoglobin
• "Myo" = muscle
• Myoglobin is a globular (spherical) protein that exists in muscle cells
• Water-soluble protein
• Ligand = O₂
• Function: binds and releases O₂ to muscle cells
• Structure: 1 polypeptide chain
• Has 1 heme group w/ Fe²⁺ ion; therefore, each myoglobin can bind 1 O₂ molecule

Hemoglobin
• "Hemo" = blood
• Hemoglobin is a globular (spherical) protein found in red blood cells
• Water-soluble protein
• Ligand = O₂
• Function: takes O₂ from the lungs to the tissues (including muscle)
• Structure: 4 polypeptide subunits
• Each polypeptide subunit has a heme group w/ Fe²⁺ ion
• Each polypeptide subunit can bind 1 O₂; therefore, each hemoglobin can bind 4 O₂ molecules

*Myoglobin has the higher affinity for oxygen b/c myoglobin needs to grab the oxygen from hemoglobin

[Tony Chen 1F]

Myoglobin stores oxygen in muscles and hemoglobin transports oxygen in the blood. So the oxygen that we are supplying to the muscles are also carried by hemoglobin in our circulatory system

[Shay Crookall 2L]

Myoglobin is a monomer, hemoglobin is made up of 4 subunits. Hemoglobin is mainly found in blood cells, where myoglobin is mostly found in the muscles!

[Rachel Bartley 2B]

Myoglobin is a monomer that stores oxygen in muscle cells, while hemoglobin is a polymer made of 4 of the myoglobin structures that transports oxygen throughout the blood.

[Ainsley DeMuth 1H]

I believe the most notable difference between myoglobin and hemoglobin that Dr Lavelle mentioned is that hemoglobin has 4 myoglobin-like molecules (it binds four O2) and hemoglobin helps with the transport of O2 in blood. Myoglobin in comparison helps with the transport of O2 in muscles cells.

[Meia Schram 1J]

Hey,

So hemoglobin and myoglobin are pretty similar so it can be hard to differentiate but there some subtle differences ! Hemoglobin has 4 subunits while myoglobin only bonds to one so in a sense there are 4 myoglobins in one hemoglobin. Additionally, hemoglobin's purpose is to provide oxygen to blood while myoglobin provides oxygen to muscles.

Hope this helps!

[masontsang]

Hi! Myoglobin and hemoglobin both help aid the movement of oxygen around the body, but myoglobin can only carry one O2 molecule at a time while hemoglobin can carry four O2 molecules at a time. Hemoglobin is also made up of four myoglobin structures! Both molecules have Fe as the the central transition metal within their heme complexes too! I hope this helps!

[Ameen Shaheen 2I]

Function wise, myoglobin functions to move oxygen through the blood while hemoglobin functions to move oxygen through the muscles.

[Ishpreet Kaur 3C]

Like other comments have said, myoglobin is the molecule that carries oxygen specifically to the muscles. It is made up of one heme group. Hemoglobin is made up of four heme groups that are in each of hemoglobin's four subunits.

[Heba Bounar 3K]

Hi! Myoglobin contributes to the transport of oxygen in muscle cells while hemoglobin contributes to the transport of oxygen in the blood. Myoglobin binds 1 O2 molecule, and since hemoglobin consists of 4 myoglobin-like molecules, it binds 4 O2 molecules. Hope that helps!

[Sarthika Chimmula 3H]

Hemoglobin is a oxygen transport protein found in red blood cells, whereas myoglobin is a protein found mainly in muscle tissue.