myoglobin

[ mahy-uh-gloh-bin, mahy-uh-gloh- ]

nounBiochemistry.

hemoglobin of muscle, weighing less and carrying more oxygen and less carbon monoxide than blood hemoglobin.

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Origin of myoglobin

First recorded in 1920–25; myo- + globin

Also my·o·he·mo·glo·bin [mahy-uh-hee-muh-gloh-bin, ‐hem-uh‐]. /ˌmaɪ əˈhi məˌgloʊ bɪn, ‐ˈhɛm ə‐/.

Words Nearby myoglobin

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use myoglobin in a sentence

The high amount of myoglobin and subsequent oxygen in our muscle cells allows us to hold our breath for extended periods of time.
Everything you’ve ever wanted to know about muscles | Claire Maldarelli and Sara Chodosh | October 3, 2021 | Popular-Science
In fact, a high presence of myoglobin in the blood is a sign of extreme muscle injury, like rhabdomyolysis, which can be life-threatening.
Everything you’ve ever wanted to know about muscles | Claire Maldarelli and Sara Chodosh | October 3, 2021 | Popular-Science
On the other hand, muscles that need far more oxygen to work, like the ones in our limbs, have more myoglobin and therefore have a darker appearance.
Everything you’ve ever wanted to know about muscles | Claire Maldarelli and Sara Chodosh | October 3, 2021 | Popular-Science
The team created models of important proteins such as myoglobin.
Father-son bond inspires sweets that model the shapes of molecules | Carmen Drahl | June 30, 2021 | Science News For Students

British Dictionary definitions for myoglobin

myoglobin

/ (ˌmaɪəʊˈɡləʊbɪn) /

noun

a protein that is the main oxygen-carrier of muscle

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Scientific definitions for myoglobin

myoglobin

[ mī′ə-glō′bĭn ]

An iron-containing protein found in muscle fibers, consisting of heme connected to a single peptide chain that resembles one of the subunits of hemoglobin. Myoglobin combines with oxygen released by red blood cells and transfers it to the mitochondria of muscle cells, where it is used to produce energy.

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