myoglobin
noun
myo·glo·bin
| \ ˌmī-ə-ˈglō-bən
, ˈmī-ə-ˌglō\
, ˈmī-ə-ˌglō\
Definition of myoglobin
: a red iron-containing protein pigment in muscles that is similar to hemoglobin
Examples of myoglobin in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Our skeletal muscles make myoglobin, a single globin protein ancestral to hemoglobin, which helps muscle hang on to a reserve of oxygen to use during exercise. — Quanta Magazine, "Icefish Study Adds Another Color to the Story of Blood," 22 Apr. 2019 These products, such as the protein myoglobin, are particularly harmful to the kidneys and can result in kidney failure. — Fiza Pirani, ajc, "What is rhabdomyolysis? Workout, rare condition sends teen to hospital," 7 June 2018 It’s also why beached whales quickly find themselves in danger: On land, a whale’s bulk damages their muscles and releases dangerous amounts of a protein called myoglobin that can cause their kidneys to fail. — Brian Switek, Smithsonian, "Today’s Whales Are Huge, But Why Aren’t They Huger?," 27 June 2018 Similar to the hemoglobin found in our blood, myoglobin carries oxygen to the animal's muscles, according to the New York Times. — Jessica Leigh Mattern, Country Living, "Here's What That "Blood" In Your Meat Packaging Really Is," 17 May 2017 The color magic happens when nitrites convert to nitric oxide (NO), which binds to the iron in muscle myoglobin to form a stable pigment when heated. — Patrick Di Justo, WIRED, "What Spam With Bacon Is Really Made Of," 11 May 2012These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'myoglobin.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
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More Definitions for myoglobin
myoglobin
noun
myo·glo·bin
| \ ˌmī-ə-ˈglō-bən, ˈmī-ə-ˌ
\
\
Medical Definition of myoglobin
: a red iron-containing protein pigment in muscles that is similar to hemoglobin but differs in the globin portion of its molecule, in the smaller size of its molecule (as in the mammalian heart muscle which has only one fourth the molecular weight of the hemoglobin in the blood of the same animal), in its greater tendency to combine with oxygen, and in its absorption of light at longer wavelengths
— called also myohemoglobin