Heme
/hiːm/noun
The iron-containing pigment in hemoglobin and related proteins that binds oxygen.
Did you know?Heme comes from the same Greek root as *blood*, and its name was later shaped by the language of chemistry before becoming central to how scientists talk about oxygen transport.
Etymological Timeline
Ancient Greek
Greek
haîma
“blood”
Late Latin
Latin
haema-
“blood-”
19th Century
English
heme
“the iron-containing pigment component of blood”
Modern English
English
heme
“the iron-containing pigment in hemoglobin and related proteins that binds oxygen”
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