noun
- Plural of hemerythrin; iron-containing respiratory proteins found in the blood of certain marine invertebrates that function similarly to hemoglobin in binding and transporting oxygen.
Usage: technical; biology; biochemistry
Examples
- Hemerythrins are oxygen-carrying proteins found in some marine worms and mollusks.
- Unlike hemoglobin, hemerythrins contain iron but are not heme-based proteins.
- The structure of hemerythrins differs significantly from that of hemocyanin, another respiratory pigment.
- Scientists study hemerythrins to understand alternative mechanisms of oxygen transport in invertebrates.