respiratory pigment

English

Noun

respiratory pigment (plural respiratory pigments)

1. (biochemistry) any of several coloured metal-containing protein pigments which combine reversibly with oxygen and which are found in the tissues of vertebrates and invertebrates and whose role is to transport oxygen

See also

• chlorocruorin
• hemerythrin, haemerythrin
• hemocyanin, haemocyanin
• hemoglobin, haemoglobin