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porphyrin
[ pawr-fuh-rin ]
/ ˈpɔr fə rɪn /
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noun Biochemistry.
a dark red, photosensitive pigment consisting of four pyrrole rings linked by single carbon atoms: a component of chlorophyll, heme, and vitamin B12.
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Words nearby porphyrin
porny, poromeric, porosity, porous, porphyria, porphyrin, porphyritic, porphyrization, porphyrize, porphyroblast, porphyrogenite
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
British Dictionary definitions for porphyrin
porphyrin
/ (ˈpɔːfɪrɪn) /
noun
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
Word Origin for porphyrin
C20: from Greek porphura purple, referring to its colour
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition
© William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
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Scientific definitions for porphyrin
porphyrin
[ pôr′fə-rĭn ]
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.
The American Heritage® Science Dictionary
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