International A Level Biology / Chemistry for biologists

Globular and fibrous: haemoglobin and collagen revision notes

Edexcel International A Level Biology (YBI11), chapter 1: Chemistry for biologists, specification point 2.6. Part of the full course.

Watch the video lesson · International A Level Biology past papers

Haemoglobin is a compact globular protein that carries oxygen, while collagen is a fibrous protein that resists being pulled apart. Their different structures make them suited to these different functions.

More lessons in Chemistry for biologists

• Water: the dipole and why it dissolves things
• Monosaccharides and disaccharides
• Starch and glycogen: storing energy
• Core practical 1: estimating sugar and starch concentrations
• Lipids: triglycerides, saturated and unsaturated
• Amino acids and peptide bonds
• Primary to quaternary structure