HAEMATOCYANIN Meaning and
Definition
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Haematocyanin is a protein found in the blood of arthropods and some mollusks that primarily functions as an oxygen carrier. It plays a comparable role to the more familiar hemoglobin found in vertebrates but differs in its chemical composition and structure. Specifically, haematocyanins are blue or green copper-containing proteins that are responsible for the blue or green coloration of the blood in these organisms.
The protein is synthesized and stored within specialized cells called hemocytes, and once released into the bloodstream, it binds reversibly to oxygen molecules, facilitating their transport throughout the organism's tissues. Unlike hemoglobin, which relies on iron to bind oxygen, haematocyanin employs copper ions to perform the same task. This difference in metal ion coordination accounts for the distinct coloration observed in the blood.
Haematocyanin is well-adapted to low oxygen environments and plays a crucial role in supporting the oxygen demands of arthropods and mollusks. It is particularly effective in habitats with low partial pressure of oxygen, such as cold ocean waters, where haematocyanin enables these organisms to extract and utilize oxygen more efficiently. The protein's structure and oxygen-carrying properties have made it a subject of interest in scientific research, particularly in understanding the adaptations of marine organisms to their environments and their phylogenetic relationships.
Common Misspellings for HAEMATOCYANIN
- haemocyanin
- gaematocyanin
- baematocyanin
- naematocyanin
- jaematocyanin
- uaematocyanin
- yaematocyanin
- hzematocyanin
- hsematocyanin
- hwematocyanin
- hqematocyanin
- hawmatocyanin
- hasmatocyanin
- hadmatocyanin
- harmatocyanin
- ha4matocyanin
- ha3matocyanin
- haenatocyanin
- haekatocyanin
- haejatocyanin
Etymology of HAEMATOCYANIN
The word "haematocyanin" comes from the combination of two roots: "haemato" and "cyanin".
The term "haemato-" is derived from the Greek word "haima" meaning "blood". This root is commonly used in various scientific terms related to blood, such as "haematology" (the study of blood) and "haemoglobin" (the iron-containing protein in red blood cells).
The second part of the word, "cyanin", refers to a blue pigment found in some organisms. The term "cyanin" itself comes from "cyan", which is derived from the Greek word "kyaneos", meaning "dark blue".
Therefore, "haematocyanin" combines the concept of "blood" (haemato-) with a blue pigment (-cyanin) to refer to a copper-containing protein found in the blood of certain invertebrates.
