This document discusses various respiratory pigments found in different organisms. It describes hemoglobin as the main respiratory pigment in vertebrates, made up of four heme groups and a globin group. It also discusses other pigments like hemocyanin found in molluscs and arthropods containing copper, hemerythrin containing iron found in sipunculids, and chlorocruorin containing iron and ferric found in annelids. The document outlines that respiratory pigments function to carry oxygen and carbon dioxide, show reversibility in binding gases, and help maintain blood pressure.

1. RESPIRATORY
PIGMENTS
NAVIN KUMAR AMBUROSE ,
I M.SC. ZOOLOGY,
CHIKKAIAH NAICKER COLLEGE,
ERODE-638004,
TAMIL NADU, INDIA.

2. DEFINITION
COLOURED PROTEIN
MOLECULE
PRESENT IN BLOOD
TRANSPORTING OXYGEN &
CARBON-DI-OXIDE

3. IMPORTANT RESPIRATORY
PIGMENTS
HAEMOGLOBIN
HAEMOCYANIN
HAEMOERYTHRIN
CHLOROCRUORIN
PINNAGLOBIN
VANADIUM
ECHINOCHROME
MOLPADIN

4. HAEMOGLOBIN
• RED COLOURED
• CHROMO PROTEIN
• OCCURS IN ALL VERTEBRATES
• OCCURS IN THE BLOOD CORPUSCLES OF VERTEBRATES
• EACH HAEMOGLOBIN MOLECULE IS MADE UP OF FOUR
HAEM GROUPS SURROUNDING A GLOBIN GROUP. GLOBIN
IS FORMED OF FOUR POLYPEPTIDE CHAINS
• HAEMOGLOBIN DEVELOPING IN THE BONE MARROW
• WHEN RED CELLS DIE, HAEMOGLOBIN IS BROKEN UP:
IRON IS SALVAGED

6. HAEMOCYANIN
• BLUE COLOURED PIGMENTS (COLOURLESS)
• CONSISTS OF ONE COPPER ATOM & A PEPTIDE
CHAIN OF ABOUT 200 AMINO ACIDS
• IT ABSORBS UV RAYS
• TRANSPORT OF GASES AND IN STORAGE
• IT OCCURS IN BLOOD PLASMA
• HEMOCYANIN ARE FOUND ONLY IN THE
MOLLUSCA AND ARTHROPODA:

7. HAEMOERYTHRIN
• REDDISH VIOLET COLOURED PIGMENT (COLOURLESS)
• FORMED OF IRON AND PROTEIN.
• MOLECULAR WEIGHT 66,000 TO 120,000 DALTONES.
• IT OCCURS IN THE CORPUSCLES OF SIPUNCULUS AND THE
PLASMA OF OTHER ORGANISM.
• IT IS LESS EFFICIENT IN OXYGEN CARRYING CAPACITY OF
OTHER PIGMENTS.

8. CHLOROCRUORIN
• GREEN COLOURED PIGMENTS (DARK & LIGHT)
• DISCOVERED BY MILNE EDWARDS IN 1938(
ANNELIDS)
• ITS CONTAINING IRON AND FERRIC FROM.
• IT OCCURS IN THE PLASMA.
• IT FUNCTIONS ONLY AT HIGH OXYGEN TENSIONS.

9. PINNAGLOBIN
• BROWN COLOUR PIGMENT
• IT OCCURS IN THE BODY FLUID
• IT IS A MANGANESE CONTAINING BLOOD PIGMENT

10. VANADIUM
• IT IS PRESENT IN THE BLOOD CELLS OF ASCIDIANS
• IT ALSO OCCURS IN THE PLASMA OF SEVERAL OTHER
ORGANISMS
• IT IS A GREEN COLOURED

11. ECHINOCHROME
• RED COLOURED PIGMENT
• CONTAINING IRON PIGMENT
• IT OCCURS IS THE COELOMIC FLUID OF SEA URCHIN
MOLPADIN
• IT OCCURS IN THE BLACK SEA CUCUMBER

12. FUNCTIONS OF RESPIRATORY
PIGMENTS
• THEY ARE THE OXYGEN CARRIERS
• ALL THE PIGMENTS HAVE GREAT AFFINITY
TOWARDS THE RESPIRATORY GASES
• RESPIRATORY PIGMENTS SHOW REVERSIBILITY IN
THEIR ACTION
• HEAMOGLOBIN +OXYGEN OXYHEAMOGLOBIN
• RESPIRATORY PIGMENTS HELP TO MAINTAIN
COLLOID &OSMOTIC PRESSURE OF BLOOD.