1953 Structure

The 1953 Structure refers to the molecular arrangement of the protein hemoglobin as determined by scientists in 1953. Hemoglobin is the molecule in red blood cells that carries oxygen. Its structure is made up of four subunits—two alpha and two beta chains—each containing a heme group that binds oxygen. This detailed arrangement explains how hemoglobin efficiently picks up oxygen in the lungs and releases it in tissues. Understanding this structure helped scientists grasp how blood transports oxygen and how mutations could lead to blood disorders like sickle cell anemia.