hemosiderin

noun he·mo·sid·er·in \ ˌhē-mō-ˈsi-də-rən \

Definition of hemosiderin

: a yellowish-brown granular intracellular pigment that is formed in some phagocytic cells (such as macrophages) by the breakdown of hemoglobin and is probably essentially a denatured form of ferritin

Origin and Etymology of hemosiderin

International Scientific Vocabulary hem- + sider- + ¹-in

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: circa 1885

in the meaning defined above

See Words from the same year

Medical Dictionary

hemosiderin

noun he·mo·sid·er·in

variants: or chiefly British haemosiderin play \ˌhē-mō-ˈsid-ə-rən\

medical Definition of hemosiderin

: a yellowish brown granular pigment formed by breakdown of hemoglobin, found in phagocytes and in tissues especially in disturbances of iron metabolism (as in hemochromatosis, hemosiderosis, or some anemias), and composed essentially of colloidal ferric oxide — compare ferritin