The Oxygen Transporters

Oxygen transporters are ubiquitous in nature. They have one principal purpose, to deliver oxygen where it is needed for energy production. They are highly complex proteins with an oxygen binding center employing heme or a heme-like structure that contains a metal (iron or copper) that can toggle between two oxidation states. Over hundreds of millions of years, the transporters in the animal kingdom have evolved in significant ways. Hemoglobins have diverged from each other to fulfill specific needs. Other entirely distinct transporters are chlorocruorin, erythrocruorin, hemerythrin, and hemocyanin.