The most common Christmas meat is Turkey. Eggnog is the most common Christmas drink. Stuffing is a traditional Christmas dish. Lemon meringue pie is a common Christmas dessert. Squash may be featured as a Christmas food.
Researchers at the BSC and the IRB Barcelona unveil crucial information about the protein transporter of oxygen, which opens up the possibility to optimize its function by introducing modifications. The transport of oxygen in blood is undertaken by hemoglobin, the largest component of red blood cells. This protein collects oxygen in respiratory organs, mainly in the lungs, and releases it in tissues in order to generate the energy necessary for cell survival.
Hemoglobin (or haemoglobin, frequently abbreviated as Hb), which is contained in red blood cells, serves as the oxygen carrier in blood. The name hemoglobin comes from heme and globin, since each subunit of hemoglobin is a globular protein with an embedded heme (or haem) group. Each heme group contains an iron atom, and this is responsible for the binding of oxygen. The presence of hemoglobin in blood increases the oxygen carrying ability of a litre of blood from 5 to 250 ml. Hemoglobin also plays a major role in the transport of carbon dioxide from the tissues back to the lungs.