noun
- a class of organic compounds containing four pyrrole rings joined together, important in biological processes such as oxygen transport and photosynthesis
Usage: biochemistry; plural form
Examples
- Hemoglobin contains iron porphyrins that bind oxygen in red blood cells.
- Chlorophyll is a magnesium-containing porphyrin essential for photosynthesis.
- The doctor ordered tests to check for elevated porphyrins in the patient’s urine.
- Porphyrins give blood its red color and plants their green color.
- Certain genetic disorders affect the body’s ability to produce porphyrins properly.
- The laboratory analyzed porphyrin levels to diagnose the rare metabolic condition.