myoglobin

American  

[mahy-uh-gloh-bin, mahy-uh-gloh-] / ˌmaɪ əˈgloʊ bɪn, ˈmaɪ əˌgloʊ- /

Also myohemoglobin

noun

Biochemistry.

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

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myoglobin British  

/ ˌmaɪəʊˈɡləʊbɪn /

noun

1. a protein that is the main oxygen-carrier of muscle

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myoglobin Scientific  

/ mī′ə-glō′bĭn /

1. 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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Etymology

Origin of myoglobin

First recorded in 1920–25; myo- + globin

Compare meaning

How does myoglobin compare to similar and commonly confused words? Explore the most common comparisons:

• myoglobin vs. hemoglobin

Example Sentences

"When it comes to meat, myoglobin is responsible for the aroma, the colour and the taste", James Ryall, Vow's Chief Scientific Officer explained.

From Reuters • Mar. 28, 2023

That’s because this wasn’t blood; it was a hemoglobin cousin, myoglobin, the oxygen-carrying component of muscle, which is released into the bloodstream after an injury.

From New York Times • May 26, 2022

It’s actually myoglobin, a protein that gives meat and its juices their red color.

From Fox News • Mar. 13, 2022

Type I, slow oxidative, slow twitch, or “red” muscle is dense with capillaries and is rich in mitochondria and myoglobin, giving the muscle tissue its characteristic red color.

From Textbooks • Jan. 1, 2015

If we were lucky, the damage to the myoglobin molecules which prevented crystallization would be averted by immediately freezing the exracehorse’s heart.

From "Double Helix" by James D. Watson