Medical Term:
heme
Pronunciation: hēm
Definition:
- The porphyrin chelate of iron in which the iron is Fe(II) (or Fe2+); the oxygen-carrying, color-furnishing, prosthetic group of hemoglobin.
- Iron complexed with nonporphyrins but related tetrapyrrole structures (biliverdin heme).
- Iron chelated with any porphyrin, irrespective of the valence state of the iron atom.
Synonym(s): ferroheme, ferroprotoporphyrin, reduced hematin
[G. haima, blood]
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Examples: glitazone, GI cocktail, etc.
