Dictionary
cy•to•chrome
Pronunciation: (sī'tu-krōm"), [key]—
n. Biochem.
any of several carrier molecules in the mitochondria of plant and animal cells, consisting of a protein and an iron-containing porphyrin ring and participating in the stepwise transfer of electrons in oxidation reactions: each cytochrome alternately accepts and releases an electron at a slightly lower energy level in the order designated
b, c1,
c, a, and
a3. Cf.
electron transport.Random House Unabridged Dictionary, Copyright © 1997, by Random House, Inc., on Infoplease.