7.1: Normal Hemoglobin Structure

A Laboratory Guide to Clinical Hematology · LibreTexts

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    Location of globin genes:1

    Chromosome 16: α globin genes

    Chromosome 11: β globin genes

    One α globin gene and one β globin gene are inherited from each parent.

    Normal hemoglobin A is made up of two α globin chains, two β globin chains, and four heme molecules.

    Heme is formed from protoporphyrin ring precurosors and ferrous iron (Fe2+).

    Table #1 Normal hemoglobin content at various stages of life.1

    Embryonic:

    Hb Gower I (ζ2ε2)

    Hb Gower II (α2ε2)

    Hb Portland (ζ2γ2)

    Fetal:

    HbF (α2γ2)

    Adult:

    HbA (α2β2) >95%

    HbA2 (α2δ2) <3.5%

    HbF (α2γ2) 1-2%

    References:

    1. Keohane EM. Hemoglobin metabolism. In: Rodak’s hematology clinical applications and principles. 5th ed. St. Louis, Missouri: Saunders; 2015. p. 124-36.

    This page titled 7.1: Normal Hemoglobin Structure was last modified on Fri, 11 Sep 2026 16:40:03 GMT and is shared under a CC BY-NC 4.0 license and was authored, remixed, and/or curated by Valentin Villatoro and Michelle To (Open Education Alberta) via source content that was edited to the style and standards of the LibreTexts platform.