noun
- any of a class of organic compounds containing four pyrrole rings linked by carbon bridges, forming the basis of important biological molecules like hemoglobin and chlorophyll
Usage: biochemistry
Examples
- Hemoglobin contains a porphyrin ring that binds iron.
- Chlorophyll is a porphyrin compound that enables photosynthesis.
- The doctor tested for porphyrin levels in the patient’s blood.
- Porphyrin molecules are essential for oxygen transport in mammals.
- Scientists studied the porphyrin structure to understand its light-absorbing properties.
- Certain genetic disorders affect porphyrin metabolism.