Hemoglobin, normally abbreviated to Hb or Hgb, is a complex protein found in red blood cells that contains an iron molecule. The main function of hemoglobin is to carry oxygen from the lungs to the body tissues, and to exchange the oxygen for carbon dioxide. The carbon dioxide is then transported back to the lungs, where it is exchanged for oxygen. The iron molecule in hemoglobin helps maintain the normal shape of red blood cells.
A low hemoglobin level is referred to as anemia or low red-blood count. A patient’s Hb level is, therefore, a measure of how much oxygen is carried in the red-blood cells.
Click below to learn more about haemoglobin and its normal ranges, dependent on age and gender.
Hemoglobin (2019)
Medical Author: Charles Patrick Davis, MD, PhD
Charles Patrick Davis, MD, PhD
Charles Patrick Davis, MD, PhD
Available at:
https://www.emedicinehealth.com/hemoglobin_levels/article_em.htm#how_is_a_hemoglobin_test_measured
Accessed 17th July 2019
Hemoglobin