HEMOGLOBIN

Pronunciation (US):

(GB):

IPA (US):

 Dictionary entry overview: What does hemoglobin mean? 

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

1. 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

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

 Dictionary entry details 

• HEMOGLOBIN (noun)

Sense 1

Meaning:

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

Classified under:

Nouns denoting substances

Synonyms:

haemoglobin; Hb; hemoglobin

Context example:

fish have simpler hemoglobin than mammals

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

haemoprotein; hemoprotein (a conjugated protein linked to a compound of iron and porphyrin)

Meronyms (substance of "hemoglobin"):

haem; haemitin; hematin; heme; protoheme (a complex red organic pigment containing iron and other atoms to which oxygen binds)

globin; haematohiston; hematohiston (a colorless protein obtained by removing heme from hemoglobin; the oxygen carrying compound in red blood cells)

Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "hemoglobin"):

oxyhaemoglobin; oxyhemoglobin (the bright red hemoglobin that is a combination of hemoglobin and oxygen from the lungs)

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

erythrocyte; RBC; red blood cell (a mature blood cell that contains hemoglobin to carry oxygen to the bodily tissues; a biconcave disc that has no nucleus)

 Context examples 

The oxygen we breathe, and which is transported by hemoglobin in the blood to all of the tissues, serves this purpose and allows electron transport to occur.

(Electron Transport Pathway, NCI Thesaurus/BIOCARTA)

This allele, which encodes erythropoietin protein, plays a role in erythroid differentiation and in the initiation of hemoglobin synthesis.

(EPO wt Allele, NCI Thesaurus)

This may enhance red blood cell counts and hemoglobin levels.

(Epoetin Zeta, NCI Thesaurus)

A form of hemoglobin found in the blood in small amounts.

(Methemoglobin, NCI Dictionary)

The sodium salt form of efaproxiral, a propanoic acid and allosteric modifier of hemoglobin, with radiosensitizing activity.

(Efaproxiral Sodium, NCI Thesaurus)

This agent does not readily bind iron from transferrin, hemoglobin, myoglobin or cytochrome.

(Deferoxamine, NCI Thesaurus)

It is caused by deficiency of the enzyme NADH methemoglobin reductase or the presence of abnormal hemoglobin M. It presents with cyanosis early in life.

(Congenital Methemoglobinemia, NCI Thesaurus)

Daily iron supplements can help people who donate blood more quickly recover lost iron and hemoglobin, the protein that carries oxygen throughout the body.

(Iron Supplements Hasten Recovery in Blood Donors, NIH)

Blue- or purplish-colored limbs; this is caused by excessive amounts of deoxygenated hemoglobin in the skin vessels of the limbs.

(Cyanotic Limbs, NCI Thesaurus)

Methemoglobin is a form of hemoglobin that cannot carry oxygen.

(Methemoglobinemia, NCI Dictionary)