
Haemoglobin is a tetramer with a molecular weight of 64,500. It consists of two alpha and two non-alpha globin polypeptide chains, each with a covalently bound heme group. In humans, there are six known different globin polypeptide chains that form a number of haemoglobin tetramers. The chains are designated α, β, γ, δ, ε, and ζ. The ε-, γ-, and δ-chains are more similar to β-chains than to α-chains, differing from β at 36, 39, and 10 positions, respectively, and are designated β-like chains. In chickens, three alpha-type globin genes have been identified in the alpha-globin linkage group, and the primary structure of the polypeptide chain of the A II component of adult chicken haemoglobin has been studied. The sequence of amino acids in haemoglobin molecules of humans is more similar to that of chimpanzees than to cats. This evolutionary insight raises the question of how far human and chicken haemoglobin b chains are similar.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Human haemoglobin | Consists of two α and two non-α globin polypeptide chains, each of which has a single covalently bound heme group |
| Chicken haemoglobin | Consists of alpha-type globin genes alpha A and alpha D |
| Human haemoglobin chains | Designated α, β, γ, δ, ε, and ζ |
| Chicken haemoglobin chains | Designated alpha A, alpha D, and pi or pi' |
| Heme groups | Located in crevices near the exterior of the molecule, one in each subunit |
| Heme group composition | Made up of an iron atom bound within a protoporphyrin IX ring |
| Human β-chain similarity | ε-, γ-, and δ-chains are more similar to β-chains than to α-chains, differing from β at 36, 39, and 10 positions, respectively |
| Human and chicken evolutionary relationship | Humans and chickens share a common ancestor with similar haemoglobin genes |
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What You'll Learn
- Chicken haemoglobin genes alpha A and alpha D do not cause anemic shock
- Chicken and human haemoglobin chains are both tetramers
- Chicken haemoglobin has three alpha-type globin genes
- Chicken and human haemoglobin chains have similar amino acid sequences
- Chicken and human haemoglobin chains have alpha-like and beta-like globin genes

Chicken haemoglobin genes alpha A and alpha D do not cause anemic shock
The B chain of haemoglobin is a type of globin chain. In humans, there are six known different globin polypeptide chains that form a number of haemoglobin tetramers. The polypeptide chains are designated α, β, γ, δ, ε, and ζ. The α- and ζ-chains consist of 141 amino acids, while the β-, γ-, δ-, and ε-chains have 146 residues. The ε-, γ-, and δ-chains are more similar to β-chains than to α-chains, differing from β at 36, 39, and 10 positions, respectively, and are designated β-like chains.
The amino acid sequence of the beta chain of adult chicken haemoglobin has been identified. The primary structure of the polypeptide chain of the A II component of adult chicken haemoglobin has also been identified. The chromosomal arrangement of chicken beta-type globin genes has been compared to cloned mouse alpha- and beta-globin genes.
Chicken globin genes have been studied in the context of hemolytic anemia. The nucleotide sequence of cDNA clones coding for the alpha-globin expressed during hemolytic anemia has been identified. The complete nucleotide sequence of a cloned chicken alpha-globin cDNA has also been identified.
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Chicken and human haemoglobin chains are both tetramers
Haemoglobin is a nearly spherical molecule with a diameter of 55 angstroms. It is a tetramer, consisting of four chains that are packed together. In humans, there are six known different globin polypeptide chains that form a number of haemoglobin tetramers. The polypeptide chains are designated α, β, γ, δ, ε, and ζ. The α- and ζ-chains consist of 141 amino acids, while the β-, γ-, δ-, and ε-chains have 146 residues.
Chicken haemoglobin, similarly, consists of α- and β-chains. Three alpha-type globin genes have been identified in the alpha-globin linkage group of chickens. The primary structure of the polypeptide chain of chicken haemoglobin has been studied, and the amino acid sequence of the alpha chain of chicken AI haemoglobin has been determined.
The human α-like globin genes have been studied for sequence homology and gene deletions. The human α-globin gene locus has a major positive regulatory region located far upstream. The chicken genome has provided unique perspectives on vertebrate evolution, including the evolution of haemoglobin and its genes.
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Chicken haemoglobin has three alpha-type globin genes
Haemoglobin is a protein found in red blood cells that carries oxygen to cells and tissues throughout the body. It is made up of four subunits: two subunits of alpha-globin and two subunits of another type of globin. In humans, there are six different globin polypeptide chains that form a number of haemoglobin tetramers. These polypeptide chains are designated α, β, γ, δ, ε, and ζ.
Chicken haemoglobin, on the other hand, has three alpha-type globin genes that have been identified in the alpha-globin linkage group. These genes are known as alpha A, alpha D, and alpha S. No other alpha-type genes have been found within 10 kilobase pairs of these three closely linked genes. The identification of these genes was made possible through DNA sequence analysis.
The gene at the 5' end of the linkage group is an embryonic alpha-type globin gene, pi or pi'. The central gene, alpha D, is a minor adult alpha-globin. The 3'-terminal gene sequence, alpha S, is presumed to be an anemic shock-induced alpha-globin gene.
The amino acid sequence of the alpha chain of chicken AI haemoglobin has been studied and published. Researchers have also investigated the response of chickens with different haemoglobin genotypes to phenylhydrazine-induced anemia.
While humans and chickens both have alpha-globin genes, the specific details of their haemoglobin structure differ. Humans have six types of globin polypeptide chains, while chickens have three identified alpha-type globin genes. The presence of different globin chains and their specific combinations contribute to the diversity in haemoglobin structures between species.
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Chicken and human haemoglobin chains have similar amino acid sequences
Haemoglobin is a tetramer with a molecular weight of 64,500. It is made up of two alpha and two non-alpha polypeptide chains, each with a covalently bound heme group. The heme group contains an iron atom bound within a protoporphyrin IX ring. In humans, there are six known globin polypeptide chains that form haemoglobin tetramers. These chains are designated α, β, γ, δ, ε, and ζ.
The amino acid sequences of chicken and human haemoglobin chains share similarities. For instance, the primary structure of the polypeptide chain of the A II component of adult chicken haemoglobin has been studied, and the amino acid sequence of the alpha chain of chicken AI haemoglobin has been identified. Chickens have three alpha-type globin genes that have been identified in the alpha-globin linkage group. These are the alpha A, alpha D, and embryonic alpha-type globin gene.
In humans, the α- and ζ-chains consist of 141 amino acids, while the β-, γ-, δ-, and ε-chains have 146 residues. The ε-, γ-, and δ-chains are more similar to the β-chain than to the α-chain, differing from β at 36, 39, and 10 positions, respectively. The ζ chain is an α-like globin found in embryonic erythrocytes with ε-globin.
The sequence of amino acids in haemoglobin molecules of humans is more similar to that of chimpanzees than cats. This similarity suggests an evolutionary relationship between humans and chimpanzees. There are nine positions in the amino acid sequence that contain the same amino acid in all or nearly all species studied. These conserved positions are important for the function of the haemoglobin molecule.
In summary, chicken and human haemoglobin chains share similarities in their amino acid sequences, with conserved positions that are important for the function of the molecule.
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Chicken and human haemoglobin chains have alpha-like and beta-like globin genes
The structure of haemoglobin and its constituent globin chains is a highly researched topic, with a variety of sources exploring the similarities and differences between human and chicken haemoglobin chains.
Haemoglobin (Hb) is the oxygen-carrying protein in the blood, composed of two distinct globin chains. In humans, there are six known different globin polypeptide chains that form a number of haemoglobin tetramers. The polypeptide chains are designated α, β, γ, δ, ε, and ζ. The α- and ζ-chains consist of 141 amino acids, while the β-, γ-, δ-, and ε-chains have 146 residues. The ε-, γ-, and δ-chains are more similar to β-chains than to α-chains, differing from β at 36, 39, and 10 positions, respectively, and are designated β-like chains. The ζ chain is an α-like globin and is found in embryonic erythrocytes together with ε-globin.
In chickens, the primary alpha-globin genes are alpha A and alpha D, and no anemic shock alpha-globin exists in domestic chickens. The amino acid sequence of the alpha chain of chicken AI haemoglobin has been studied, and the alpha S-type sequence has been identified as the only abundant alpha-like globin sequence in cDNA clones made from reticulocyte mRNA isolated from non-anemic chickens. This suggests that the alpha S-type sequence corresponds to the true alpha A-globin species.
The chromosomal arrangement of human alpha-like globin genes has been compared to that of chickens, with sequence homology and alpha-globin gene deletions observed. This indicates that there are similarities between the chicken and human alpha-globin genes, specifically in terms of their chromosomal arrangement and sequence homology.
In summary, both chicken and human haemoglobin chains have alpha-like and beta-like globin genes, with the alpha-like genes located on chromosome 16 in humans and the beta-like genes located on chromosome 11. The specific genes and their functions may differ between chickens and humans, but the overall structure and composition of haemoglobin appear to be similar.
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Frequently asked questions
Haemoglobin (Hb) is a tetramer with a molecular weight of 64,500. It consists of two α and two non-α globin polypeptide chains, each of which has a single covalently bound heme group.
Humans have six known different globin polypeptide chains that form a number of haemoglobin tetramers. The chains are designated α, β, γ, δ, ε, and ζ. Chickens have three alpha-type globin genes that have been identified in the alpha-globin linkage group.
Human and chicken haemoglobin B chains are similar in that they both have α-like and β-like globin genes.
The similarities between human and chicken haemoglobin B chains suggest that jawed vertebrates may have been the last common ancestor to both species.
Yes, the sequence of amino acids in haemoglobin molecules of humans is more similar to that of chimpanzees than it is to the haemoglobin of cats.


































