This was no mean feat: a molecule of haemoglobin consists ofthousands of atoms and, at the time, only simple structures of tens of atoms had been mapped.

• 这样的研究成果是何等卓越。因为一个血红蛋白分子里有无数原子，而在当时，科学家仅仅绘制出了数十个原子的简单结构图。