A respiratory pigment is a molecule, such as hemoglobin in humans, that increases the oxygen-carrying capacity of the blood. The four most common invertebrate respiratory pigments are hemoglobin, haemocyanin, haemerythrin and chlorocruorin. Hemoglobin is bright red when oxygenated, and dark red(purplish) when deoxygenated, oxygenated haemocyanin is blue in color, deoxygenated is almost colorless. Oxygenated chlorocruorin turns from green to red where oxygenated haemerythrin is a violet to pink colour, and colorless when deoxygenated. All vertebrates use the hemoglobin respiratory pigment.
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“Separation penetrates the disappearing person like a pigment and steeps him in gentle radiance.”
—Walter Benjamin (1892–1940)