heme

noun

ˈhēm 

: the deep red iron-containing prosthetic group C₃₄H₃₂N₄O₄Fe of hemoglobin and myoglobin

Examples of heme in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

The dark claret of blood is so crucial to our perception of red meat that when Impossible Burger hit shelves, the company touted its embrace of the ingredient heme to convince people of its parity with ground beef. —Bedatri D. Choudhury, Bon Appetit Magazine, 30 Apr. 2025

Animal products like meat, fish, and poultry contain a mix of heme and non-heme iron. —Amy Brownstein, Ms, Rdn, Verywell Health, 25 Feb. 2025

Meat and seafood are rich in a type of iron called heme iron, which the body absorbs easily. —Christina Pérez, Vogue, 23 Dec. 2024

Each globular protein has an iron-bearing complex called heme at the center. —Byandrew Zaleski, science.org, 3 July 2024

Word History

Etymology

International Scientific Vocabulary, from hematin

First Known Use

1925, in the meaning defined above

Kids Definition

heme

noun

ˈhēm 

: a deep red pigment that contains iron and is obtained from hemoglobin

Medical Definition

heme

noun

variants or chiefly British haem

ˈhēm 

: the deep red iron-containing prosthetic group C₃₄H₃₂N₄O₄Fe of hemoglobin and myoglobin that is a ferrous derivative of protoporphyrin and readily oxidizes to hematin or hemin

called also protoheme