Cytochrome
/ˈsaɪtəˌkroʊm/noun
A class of heme proteins that help transfer electrons in cells, especially during respiration.
Did you know?The name was coined in 1923 because these proteins were studied by their color changes, not because they were thought to be mystical—yet the word still preserves a tiny linguistic fossil of life’s chemistry.
Etymological Timeline
Ancient Greek
Greek
kytos
“A hollow vessel, container, or cell”
Ancient Greek
Greek
chrōma
“Color”
1923
English
cytochrome
“A term coined for a colored cellular pigment/protein”
Modern English
English
cytochrome
“A class of electron-transfer proteins in cells”