[Structural basis for the functional properties of hemoglobin (author's transl)].

Functional properties of tetrameric HbA are schematically described in this short review. After considering the various structures of the protein and its binding with heme, an attempt is made to explain the influence of this structure on the affinity of Hb for oxygen, cooperative binding of oxygen, and the alkaline Bohr effect. Fixation of erythrocytic anions (chlorine and 2,3 diphosphoglycerate) modulate certain intrinsic properties, allowing the Hb molecule to provide for efficacious transport of oxygen between the environment and the metabolically active tissues.