noun
- Plural of heme; iron-containing organic compounds that are components of hemoglobin and other proteins involved in oxygen transport and electron transfer in cells.
Usage: technical/scientific; commonly used in biochemistry and medicine
Examples
- Hemoglobin contains four hemes, each capable of binding one oxygen molecule.
- The hemes in red blood cells are responsible for carrying oxygen throughout the body.
- Scientists studied how different hemes affect the efficiency of electron transfer in mitochondria.
- The iron atoms in hemes are essential for the protein's biological function.
- Certain diseases result from abnormal heme synthesis or defective hemes.