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Summary: ScienceWeek http://scienceweek.com/2000/sw000324.htm
1 of 3 3/5/2008 1:00 PM
5. MOLECULAR BIOLOGY
FIRST MYOGLOBIN-LIKE HEME-CONTAINING PROTEIN IN ARCHAEA
All biological cells require energy, both to drive the
chemical reactions involved in building cell components, and to
power the activities of these components. In many biological
systems, the major source of energy involves the utilization of
molecular oxygen in specific chemical processes, with such
utilization dependent on the recognition and uptake of oxygen by
specific biochemical entities.
In general, the term "heme" (ferroprotoporphyrin) refers to
any iron-porphyrin complex irrespective of the valence state of
the iron atom, and the term "heme protein" (hemoprotein) refers
to any protein to which an iron-porphyrin compound is linked in a
stoichiometric manner [*Note #1]. The heme proteins include
hemoglobin, myoglobin, various cytochromes, catalase, and some
peroxidases. The term "hemoglobin" refers to any of a group of
red, iron-containing, oxygen-carrying pigments of the blood of
vertebrates and some invertebrates; the substance also occurs in
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