evidence: Victoria J. Drake, Ph.D. [...] Iron-containing proteins support a number of functions, some of which are listed below. Globin-hemes are heme-containing proteins that are involved in the transport and storage of oxygen and, to a lesser extent, may act as free radical scavengers (1). Hemoglobin is the primary protein found in red blood cells and represents about two-thirds of the body's iron (3). The vital role of hemoglobin in transporting oxygen from the lungs to the rest of the body is derived from its unique ability to acquire oxygen rapidly during the short time it spends in contact with the lungs and to release oxygen as needed during its circulation through the tissues. Myoglobin functions in the transport and short-term storage of oxygen in muscle cells, helping to match the supply of oxygen to the demand of working muscles (1). A third globin called neuroglobin is preferentially expressed in the central nervous system, but its function is not well understood (4).