Radium wrote:
> Hi:
>> I am aware that myoglobin loses its red/pink color when heated. When
> meat is boiled, the red is lost. However, blood does not lose its red
> color when heated. If hemoglobin and myoglobin are so similar in terms
> of irons and proteins, then why doesn't hemoglobin lose its red color
> when heated?
You don't say anything about what the heating conditions are, and are
you sure about that for blood? The color is due entirely to the heme
group in the center of the protein or protein complex, which is the
same for both myoglobin and hemoglobin. The color changes from red
when the protein denatures and the heme is oxidized. I would assume
once you reach the denaturation conditions for hemoglobin, you would
see the same decoloration.
