hemoglobin
Transport of Oxygen in the Blood Although oxygen dissolves in blood, only a small amount of oxygen is transported this way. Only 1.5 percent of oxygen in the blood is dissolved directly into the blood itself. Most oxygen98.5 percentis bound to a protein called hemoglobin and carried to the tissues. Hemoglobin Hemoglobin, or Hb, is a protein molecule found in red blood cells erythrocytes made of four subunits: two alpha subunits and two beta subunits Figure 39.19 . Each subunit surrounds a central heme group that contains iron and binds one oxygen molecule, allowing each hemoglobin molecule to bind four oxygen molecules. Molecules with more oxygen bound to the heme groups are brighter red. As a result, oxygenated arterial blood where the Hb is carrying four oxygen molecules is bright red, while venous blood that is deoxygenated is darker red.