Hemoglobin subunit zeta is a

protein Proteins are large biomolecules and macromolecules that comprise one or more long chains of amino acid residues. Proteins perform a vast array of functions within organisms, including catalysing metabolic reactions, DNA replication, respo ...

that in humans is encoded by the ''HBZ''

gene In biology, the word gene (from , ; "...Wilhelm Johannsen coined the word gene to describe the Mendelian units of heredity..." meaning ''generation'' or ''birth'' or ''gender'') can have several different meanings. The Mendelian gene is a ba ...

. Zeta-globin is an alpha-like hemoglobin. The zeta-globin polypeptide is synthesized in the yolk sac of the early embryo, while alpha-globin is produced throughout fetal and adult life. The zeta-globin gene is a member of the human alpha-globin gene cluster that includes five functional genes and two pseudogenes. The order of genes is: 5' - zeta - pseudozeta - mu - pseudoalpha-1 - alpha-2 - alpha-1 - theta1 - 3'.

References

Further reading