Porphyrin

Porphyrins are <a href="/facts/Heterocyclic_compound/8oYSjJxY">heterocyclic</a>, <a href="/facts/Macrocyclic/4GPougjf">macrocyclic</a>, <a href="/facts/Organic_compound/gqCNaN45">organic compounds</a>, composed of four modified <a href="/facts/Pyrrole/7c7AbyN8">pyrrole</a> subunits interconnected at their <a href="/facts/Alpha_and_beta_carbon/E44SeQ1L">α carbon</a> atoms via <a href="/facts/Methine/qIYGmIg2">methine</a> bridges (=CH−). In <a href="/facts/Vertebrate/tT54FSTT">vertebrates</a>, an essential member of the porphyrin group is <a href="/facts/Heme/fRhyJAAb">heme</a>, which is a component of <a href="/facts/Hemoprotein/mUAn9ELw">hemoproteins</a>, whose functions include carrying <a href="/facts/Oxygen/acyn6o8r">oxygen</a> in the <a href="/facts/Circulatory_system/EGs6Y7sI">bloodstream</a>. In <a href="/facts/Plants/X5BMDMvS">plants</a>, an essential porphyrin derivative is <a href="/facts/Chlorophyll/1Sb0NyyM">chlorophyll</a>, which is involved in <a href="/facts/Light-harvesting_complex/jwAEMRUN">light harvesting</a> and <a href="/facts/Electron_transfer/BIdASS9R">electron transfer</a> in <a href="/facts/Photosynthesis/TMV7w693">photosynthesis</a>.
The parent of porphyrins is <a href="/facts/Porphine/BhWWTTfC">porphine</a>, a rare chemical compound of exclusively theoretical interest. Substituted porphines are called porphyrins. With a total of 26 π-electrons the porphyrin ring structure is a coordinated <a href="/facts/Aromaticity/wK0DzRY6">aromatic</a> system. One result of the large <a href="/facts/Conjugated_system/Ddx9qzox">conjugated system</a> is that porphyrins absorb strongly in the visible region of the electromagnetic spectrum, i.e. they are deeply colored. The name "porphyrin" derives from <a href="/facts/Greek_language/pzDd6eIz">Greek</a> πορφύρα (porphyra) 'purple'.

Porphyrin open-in-new

Porphyrin