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Explore the molecular structure and function of haemoglobin in this historic Christmas Lecture from 1980, featuring Nobel Prize winner Max Perutz alongside David Phillips. Discover how this crucial protein in red blood cells carries oxygen from the lungs to tissues and helps transport carbon dioxide back to the lungs by switching between two alternative structures - one in arteries and another in veins. Learn about the four protein chains that make up haemoglobin and how their structure is determined by genes, understanding how genetic mutations can impair haemoglobin function and cause illness in children. Examine how scientists can now trace the molecular causes of such diseases to changes of just a few atoms, while exploring the ongoing challenges in developing cures. Gain insights from Max Perutz, a pioneer of molecular biology whose groundbreaking work on haemoglobin earned him the Nobel Prize, as he explains the intricate mechanisms of this vital "breathing molecule" that sustains human life.
