noun
- A protein in muscle cells that binds and stores oxygen, giving muscle tissue its red color.
Usage: technical; biology
Examples
- Myoglobin is responsible for the red color of lean meat.
- Athletes with higher myoglobin levels in their muscles can sustain aerobic activity longer.
- The protein myoglobin releases oxygen to muscle cells during intense exercise.
- Myoglobin has a similar structure to hemoglobin but functions within individual muscle fibers.
- When muscle tissue is damaged, myoglobin can be detected in the bloodstream.