Hemoglobin is a molecule present in our 30 trillion red blood cells. It is responsible in transporting oxygen from the lungs to the tissues throughout the body. Without hemoglobin, humans and animals alike will die instantly. With it in each of our red blood cells, but with carbon monoxide transported to our tissues instead of oxygen, we can be poisoned or even die.
A hemoglobin molecule is made up around 10,000 hydrogen, carbon, nitrogen, sulfur, and oxygen atoms carefully assembled in 4 iron atoms. These are designed to bind and unbind oxygen at the right timing. However, during the process of inhalation, it is not only oxygen that is taken into the lungs. Other harmful components such as carbon monoxide are also inhaled. And since carbon monoxide binds to iron atoms in hemoglobin over 200 times more readily than oxygen does prolonged exposure and inhalation of the toxic carbon monoxide overcrowds oxygen. This results to damaged tissues, and at worst death.
A hemoglobin molecule is made up around 10,000 hydrogen, carbon, nitrogen, sulfur, and oxygen atoms carefully assembled in 4 iron atoms. These are designed to bind and unbind oxygen at the right timing. However, during the process of inhalation, it is not only oxygen that is taken into the lungs. Other harmful components such as carbon monoxide are also inhaled. And since carbon monoxide binds to iron atoms in hemoglobin over 200 times more readily than oxygen does prolonged exposure and inhalation of the toxic carbon monoxide overcrowds oxygen. This results to damaged tissues, and at worst death.
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