Haemoglobin - GCSE Biology Definition

Haemoglobin is a special protein found in red blood cells that helps carry oxygen around your body. It picks up oxygen from your lungs and transports it to all the different parts of your body where it is needed. Haemoglobin can also carry carbon dioxide, a waste product, from your body back to the lungs, where it can be exhaled. The presence of iron in haemoglobin is what gives red blood cells their colour. In your studies, you might learn that without enough haemoglobin, your body would struggle to function properly because it wouldn't get enough oxygen.