myoglobin

(noun)

A small globular protein containing a heme group that carries oxygen to muscles from the blood and stores reserve oxygen.

Related Terms

  • carboxyhemoglobin
  • hemoglobin
  • cardiomyocyte
  • Cardiac hypertrophy
  • sarcomere
  • lactate
  • basal metabolic rate

(noun)

A small globular protein, containing a heme group, that carries oxygen to muscles.

Related Terms

  • carboxyhemoglobin
  • hemoglobin
  • cardiomyocyte
  • Cardiac hypertrophy
  • sarcomere
  • lactate
  • basal metabolic rate

Examples of myoglobin in the following topics:

  • Energy Requirements

    • Heart muscle also contains large amounts of a pigment called myoglobin.
    • Myoglobin is similar to hemoglobin in that it contains a heme group (an oxygen binding site).
    • Myoglobin transfers oxygen from the blood to the muscle cell and stores reserve oxygen for aerobic metabolic function in the muscle cell.
    • The heme component of myoglobin, shown in orange, binds oxygen.
    • Myoglobin provides a back-up store of oxygen to muscle cells.
  • Slow-Twitch and Fast-Twitch Muscle Fibers

    • Due to their large oxygen requirements, slow-twitch fibers are associated with large numbers of blood vessels, mitochondria, and high concentrations of myoglobin, an oxygen-binding protein found in the blood that gives muscles their reddish color.
    • As fast-twitch fibers generally do not require oxygenation, they contain fewer blood vessels and mitochondria than slow-twitch fibers and less myoglobin, resulting in a paler colour.
  • Aerobic Training vs. Strength Training

    • Type I fibers appear red due to the presence of the oxygen-binding protein myoglobin.
    • They contain large and numerous mitochondria with high levels of myoglobin that gives them a red pigmentation.
    • Type II fibers are white due to the absence of myoglobin and a reliance on glycolytic enzymes.
  • Carbon Monoxide Poisoning

    • Additionally, myoglobin and mitochondrial cytochrome oxidase are thought to be adversely affected.
    • For example, carbon monoxide binds to the hemeprotein myoglobin and impairs its ability to utilize oxygen.
    • This results following a recurrence of increased carboxyhemoglobin levels and this effect may be due to a late release of carbon monoxide from myoglobin, which subsequently binds to hemoglobin.
  • Muscle Fatigue

    • With aging, levels of ATP, CTP, and myoglobin begin to decline, reducing the muscle's ability to function.
  • Myocardial Thickness and Function

    • Cardiac muscle  and skeletal muscle both contain the protein myoglobin, which stores oxygen.
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