Myoglobin facts for kids
Myoglobin is a protein that is able to bind oxygen. Myoglobin, which is similar to haemoglobin, is the main oxygen-carrying pigment of muscle tissues. Like haemoglobin, it has a porphyrin ring with an iron atom at its centre. It is in the muscle tissue of most mammals. Seals and other marine mammals have more myoglobin in their muscles than land animals.
In humans, increased level of myoglobin in the serum of the blood can be an indication of myocardial infarction. Other factors for a higher level can be damage to the muscles, epileptic seizures, polytrauma. If the value is much too high, this can lead to kidney failure.
See also
In Spanish: Mioglobina para niños
All content from Kiddle encyclopedia articles (including the article images and facts) can be freely used under Attribution-ShareAlike license, unless stated otherwise. Cite this article:
Myoglobin Facts for Kids. Kiddle Encyclopedia.