porphyrin

American  

[pawr-fuh-rin] / ˈpɔr fə rɪn /

noun

Biochemistry.

1. a dark red, photosensitive pigment consisting of four pyrrole rings linked by single carbon atoms: a component of chlorophyll, heme, and vitamin B 1 2 .

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porphyrin British  

/ ˈpɔːfɪrɪn /

noun

1. any of a group of pigments occurring widely in animal and plant tissues and having a heterocyclic structure formed from four pyrrole rings linked by four methylene groups

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porphyrin Scientific  

/ pôr′fə-rĭn /

1. Any of various organic pigments containing four pyrrole rings bonded to one another. The rings form the corners of a large flat square, in the middle of which is a cavity that often contains a metal atom. Porphyrins occur universally in protoplasm and function with bound metals such as iron in hemoglobin and magnesium in chlorophyll.

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Etymology

Origin of porphyrin

1905–10; < Greek porphýr ( a ) purple + -in ²

Example Sentences

The transistor's conductive channel is a single zinc porphyrin, a molecule that can conduct electricity.

From Science Daily • Mar. 25, 2024

The porphyrin is sandwiched between two graphene electrodes, and when a voltage is applied to the electrodes, electron flow through the molecule can be controlled using quantum interference.

From Science Daily • Mar. 25, 2024

“Once you have an iron in that porphyrin ring, it’s used throughout the biosphere,” Hardison said.

From Scientific American • May 6, 2019

At the centre of the porphyrin is an iron atom that provides the binding site for oxygen. 

From The Guardian • Apr. 19, 2013

Sunlight, the doctors concluded, increases the concentration of porphyrin in the skin and red blood cells.

From Time Magazine Archive