Hemoglobin (Hb) is the essential O2 transporter in adult humans that carries oxygen from the lungs to peripheral tissues where it is needed for oxidative respiration.As you might imagine, amino acid substitutions in Hb that lead to dysfunction can have rather significant physiological effects. Perhaps surprisingly, there are more than 1,000 naturally occurring Hb variants (Hb genes that encode proteins with amino acid substitutions) that alter its structure and biochemical properties resulting in mild to severe pathologies. In addition, tissue, organismal, and developmental stage specific Hb can be expressed to suit the needs of the organism. Here you will explore an Hb variant of your choosing and discuss the biochemical effects of this substitution on: 1) Hb-O2 binding affinity and cooperativity, 2) allostery, 3) and human physiology.

Please respond to each of the following items thoroughly, but concisely. Most of the questions have multiple parts; be sure to provide an answer for each of them. An excellent response will include details from the literature and course content to accurately describe the effect of your amino acid substitution on Hb function and physiology.

Please provide your response directly on this document. The amount of space provided for each question does not reflect the suggested amount of space needed to provide an excellent response. Please provide references for any relevant information that you obtain from the literature.