hemocyanin
HEE-muh-sy-uh-nin
Definition
A blue, copper-containing respiratory pigment found in the blood of octopuses and other mollusks that binds and transports oxygen through the circulatory system.
Etymology
Derived from the Greek words 'haima' (blood) and 'kyanos' (dark blue), it refers to the copper-based molecule that turns blue when oxygenated.
In the news
The article identifies hemocyanin as the pigment responsible for binding oxygen within the gills of an octopus, which is a vital step in their circulatory process.
An octopus has three hearts, but during jet-propelled swimming its main systemic heart can briefly stop—the pressure inside its mantle prevents enough blood from returning to the hearts. That helps explain why bottom-dwelling octopuses usually crawl and re
Read the full article ↗ScienceBlog.com