porphyrin

[pawr-fuh-rin]

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 .

porphyrin

/ 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

porphyrin

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.

Word History and Origins

Origin of porphyrin¹

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

Word History and Origins

Origin of porphyrin¹

C20: from Greek porphura purple, referring to its colour

Example Sentences

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

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The compounds, called porphyrins, had previously been shown to be adept at absorbing light and using that energy to convert oxygen molecules in the air to a reactive form known as singlet oxygen.

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When these porphyrins held a metal atom like iron or copper, they had a ferocious affinity for oxygen.

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The key to this advance is to firmly anchor the target molecule to a substrate — in this case, the authors fixed an organic molecule from the porphyrin family to a copper surface.

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Such strains, she suggests, produce much greater amounts of porphyrins, which are molecules that can trigger inflammation in skin cells.

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