This document discusses hemoglobin and its ability to bind and transport oxygen in the blood. It contains the following key points:
1) Hemoglobin is a protein made of four polypeptide chains, each containing a heme group with an Fe2+ ion that can bind oxygen.
2) Hemoglobin exists in the blood in oxygenated (HbO2) and deoxygenated (Hb) forms. The ratio of these forms depends on partial pressures of oxygen in tissues.
3) An oxygen-hemoglobin dissociation curve shows the relationship between Hb oxygen saturation and partial oxygen pressure. It is affected by factors like pH, temperature, and DPG levels.