heme

See also: hème

English

Alternative forms

• haem (UK)

Etymology

Back-formation from hemoglobin.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /hiːm/
• Rhymes: -iːm

Noun

heme (countable and uncountable, plural hemes)

1. (biochemistry) The component of hemoglobin (and other hemoproteins) responsible for binding oxygen. It consists of an iron ion that binds oxygen and a porphyrin ring that binds the globin molecules; one molecule binds one molecule of oxygen.
   • 2008, John Greer, John Foerster, George Rodgers, Fixos Paraskevas, Bertil Glader, Daniel Arber, Robert Means Jr, Wintrobe's Clinical Hematology: Volume One: Twelfth Edition, page 141:

     The binding of oxygen to the iron molecule causes the hemoglobin molecule to undergo conformational changes that affect the binding of oxygen to other heme sites.

   • 2018, Ruth Reichl, Silvia Killingsworth, The Best American Food Writing 2018, Mariner Books (→ISBN), page 152:

     Impossible's breakthrough was in discovering that meat's essence comes from heme—the iron-rich molecule in blood that carries oxygen and is responsible for the deep-red color.

Derived terms

• deoxyheme
• diheme
• hemic
• monoheme
• multiheme
• octaheme
• oxyheme
• tetraheme
• triheme

 

Related terms

• hemoglobin

See also

• bilirubin
• red blood cell

Translations

component of hemoglobin

• French: hème (fr) m
• German: Häm n
• (deprecated template usage) {{trans-mid}}
• Italian: eme (it) m
• Portuguese: heme (pt) m
• Spanish: hemo m

Further reading

• heme on Wikipedia.Wikipedia

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Ido

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈheme/

Adverb

heme

1. at home

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Middle English

Etymology 1

Related to Old English hām (“home; village, community”). This etymology is incomplete. You can help Wiktionary by elaborating on the origins of this term.

Noun

heme (plural heamen)

1. inhabitant, villager

Descendants

• English: heme

References

• “hēme, n.”, in MED Online, Ann Arbor, Mich.: University of Michigan, 2007.

Etymology 2

From Old English ġehēme. This etymology is incomplete. You can help Wiktionary by elaborating on the origins of this term.

Adjective

heme

1. fitting, suitable

Descendants

• English: heme

References

• “hẹ̄me, adj.”, in MED Online, Ann Arbor, Mich.: University of Michigan, 2007.

Etymology 3

Pronoun

heme

1. Alternative form of hem (“them”)

Etymology 4

Noun

heme

1. Alternative form of hem (“hem”)

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Spanish

Etymology

From he (adverb) +‎ me (pronoun).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈeme/ [ˈe.me]

Phrase

heme

1. here I am