cytochrome

Term: cytochrome, literally meaning “cellular color” because cytochromes are conjugated proteins containing a ferroporfirin pigment

Origin: Anc Greek

 κύτος/kytos (=container, box)

Greek letter K is replased by latin C, like in word “cycle” which is derived from word “kyklos” and it is used as a combining form meaning “cell” in the formation of compound words like cytochrome, cytogenetics etc.

χρώμα* /chroma (=color)

> χειρ/hir(=hand)< χρίπτω/hripto(=touch or anoint)

Coined

Cytochromes were initially described in 1884 by C. S. McMunn (1852–1911), as respiratory pigments and later in the 1920s, the Polish David Keilin (1887–1963) rediscovered these pigments and named them cytochromes in his paper “On cytochrome, a respiratory pigment, common to animals, yeast, and higher plants”  (Proceedings of the Royal Society, 1925).

Definition

Cytochromes are membrane-bound hemoproteins that contain heme groups and play an important role in cell respiration as catalysts of oxidation-reduction.