HEME

Pronunciation (US):

(GB):

 Dictionary entry overview: What does heme mean? 

• HEME (noun)
  The noun HEME has 1 sense:

1. a complex red organic pigment containing iron and other atoms to which oxygen binds

  Familiarity information: HEME used as a noun is very rare.

 Dictionary entry details 

• HEME (noun)

Sense 1

Meaning:

A complex red organic pigment containing iron and other atoms to which oxygen binds

Classified under:

Nouns denoting substances

Synonyms:

haem; haemitin; hematin; heme; protoheme

Hypernyms ("heme" is a kind of...):

pigment (dry coloring material (especially a powder to be mixed with a liquid to produce paint, etc.))

Holonyms ("heme" is a substance of...):

haemoglobin; Hb; hemoglobin (a hemoprotein composed of globin and heme that gives red blood cells their characteristic color; function primarily to transport oxygen from the lungs to the body tissues)

myoglobin (a hemoprotein that receives oxygen from hemoglobin and stores it in the tissues until needed)

cytochrome ((biochemistry) a class of hemoprotein whose principal biological function is electron transfer (especially in cellular respiration))

 Context examples 

The part of certain molecules that contains iron. The heme part of hemoglobin is the substance inside red blood cells that binds to oxygen in the lungs and carries it to the tissues.

(Heme, NCI Dictionary)

This allele, which encodes cytochrome c-type heme lyase protein, may play a role in electron transport.

(HCCS wt Allele, NCI Thesaurus)

This protein plays a role in tight junction disassembly, intestinal permeability, heme iron recycling, antimicrobial activity and the regulation of hydrogen peroxide catabolism.

(Haptoglobin, NCI Thesaurus)

A rare congenital metabolic disorder characterized by an inborn error of porphyrin-heme biosynthesis.

(Erythropoietic Porphyria, NCI Thesaurus)

Iron that is bound within a heme group.

(Heme Iron, NCI Thesaurus/CRCH)

Heme oxygenase 1 (288 aa, ~33 kDa) is encoded by the human HMOX1 gene.

(Heme Oxygenase 1, NCI Thesaurus)

NO binds reversibly to the ferrous-heme center of sGC, thereby causes conformational change and activates the enzyme.

(Pentaerythritol Tetranitrate, NCI Thesaurus)

Enzymes involved in the Phase II detoxification of xenobiotics to reduce cellular stress include glutathione transferases, quinone reductase, epoxide hydrolase, heme oxygenase, UDP-glucuronosyl transferases, and gamma-glutamylcysteine synthetase.

(Oxidative Stress Pathway, NCI Thesaurus/BIOCARTA)

One of the main functions of heme proteins is the retention of molecular oxygen to deliver it for enzymatic reactions.

(Heme Protein, NCI Thesaurus)

Cytochrome c-type heme lyase (268 aa, ~31 kDa) is encoded by the human HCCS gene.

(Cytochrome C-Type Heme Lyase, NCI Thesaurus)