The Difference between Hemocyanin and Hemoglobin
What is Hemocyanin?
Hemocyanin is a respiratory protein found in certain animal’s blood, much like Hemoglobin, which is another respiratory protein. However, Hemocyanin contains copper instead of iron, which is in Hemoglobin. The copper found in Hemocyanin gives the blood of animals with that protein a blue colour instead of red.
What animals have Hemocyanin?
Most molluscs and arthropods contain Hemocyanin, such as the horseshoe crab and the giant octopus. Many bugs contain a type of Hemocyanin as well.
Differences
What led to animals evolving Hemocyanin?
Because Hemocyanin is less effective in most areas, people might wonder why any animal have Hemocyanin at all. The answer is that Hemocyanin is better than Hemoglobin in lower oxygen environments, such as at the bottom of certain oceans/seas, where some of the creatures with Hemocyanin live. It is not that Hemocyanin gets better at carrying oxygen at low temperatures; it is just that hemoglobin gets worse at low temperatures. Also Hemocyanin preforms better at colder temperatures, again where these molluscs and arthropods live.
Scientists believe that the Hemocyanin trait split off from the Hemoglobin trait around 600 million years ago. This trait split off probably where Hemocyanin is more efficient, in cold, low oxygen areas. Then some of the creatures with Hemocyanin, like octopuses, came back up to the waters closer to the surface.
Because Hemocyanin is less effective in most areas, people might wonder why any animal have Hemocyanin at all. The answer is that Hemocyanin is better than Hemoglobin in lower oxygen environments, such as at the bottom of certain oceans/seas, where some of the creatures with Hemocyanin live. It is not that Hemocyanin gets better at carrying oxygen at low temperatures; it is just that hemoglobin gets worse at low temperatures. Also Hemocyanin preforms better at colder temperatures, again where these molluscs and arthropods live.
Scientists believe that the Hemocyanin trait split off from the Hemoglobin trait around 600 million years ago. This trait split off probably where Hemocyanin is more efficient, in cold, low oxygen areas. Then some of the creatures with Hemocyanin, like octopuses, came back up to the waters closer to the surface.
Therapeutic Affects
Certain types of Hemocyanin (Keyhole Limpet Hemocyanin, or KLH) are very helpful in the treatment of bladder and prostate cancer. This is because they contain a specific antigen (a virus or bacteria that stimulates the immune system to begin making an antibody). This antigen makes the immune system to start making an antibody that also destroys tumor cells. This is beginning to make a vastly growing market for KLH formulations.
Certain types of Hemocyanin (Keyhole Limpet Hemocyanin, or KLH) are very helpful in the treatment of bladder and prostate cancer. This is because they contain a specific antigen (a virus or bacteria that stimulates the immune system to begin making an antibody). This antigen makes the immune system to start making an antibody that also destroys tumor cells. This is beginning to make a vastly growing market for KLH formulations.