Human Embryo Hæmoglobins

Abstract

Halbrecht and Klibanski¹ have reported recently that they were able to examine the hæmoglobin of a 10-weeks old human embryo by means of paper electrophoresis. They demonstrated that this hæmoglobin under definite experimental conditions showed an electrophoretic mobility unequivocally slower than the mobility exhibited by adult hæmoglobin. The blood of a 20-weeks old human fœtus was found to contain a hæmoglobin moving identically slowly on paper electrophoretic examination. Moreover, this hæmoglobin showed an electrophoretic mobility which was definitely slower than the mobility of cord hæmoglobin of a full-term newly born. Based on the findings described, the authors suggest that there is a third type of hæmoglobin in early embryonic life besides the two hitherto known normal types of human hæmoglobin, referred to as fœtal hæmoglobin and adult hæmoglobin.