Globulins

These are simple proteins, insoluble or weakly soluble in water, but soluble in dilute salt solutions. Globulins together with fibrinogen and albumin are found in blood plasma. The total amount of globulins in blood serum is from 23 to 35 g/l. Globulins are precipitated from solutions using ammonium sulfate. By electrophoresis, globulins are divided into several fractions: alpha, beta, and gamma globulins.

The alpha globulin fraction is divided into two types. Alpha1 globulins: alpha1-antitrypsin; alpha1-antichymotrypsin; acid glycoprotein; serum amyloid; alpha1-lipoprotein. Alpha2 globulins: haptoglobin, alpha2-macroglobulin; ceruloplasmin; thyroxine-binding globulin; alpha2-antiplasmin; C-reactive protein; alpha2-lipoprotein; angiotensinogen.

Beta globulins: beta2-microglobulin; plasminogen; angiostatin; properdin; sex hormone-binding globulin; transferrin.

Gamma globulins: immunoglobulins, they are divided into classes: immunoglobulin A; immunoglobulin D; immunoglobulin E; immunoglobulin G; immunoglobulins.

Source | Glossary of Most Commonly Used Biomedical Terms and Concepts | Lithuanian University of Health Sciences | Academician Professor Antanas Praškevičius, Professor Laima Ivanovienė