Human Biochemistry, Volume 1 - Murray R. 1993

Protein and Amino Acid Metabolism
Porphyrins and Bile Pigments
Biomedical Significance

Knowledge of porphyrin and heme biochemistry is essential for understanding the diverse Functions of Hemoproteins in the body (such as Oxygen transport, electron transport, and drug METABOLISM). Porphyrias are a group of disorders caused by defects in The Biosynthesis of various Porphyrins. Although relatively rare, these conditions must be recognized by practicing physicians, as porphyria patients may consult dermatologists, hepatologists, or psychiatrists. Jaundice, resulting from elevated plasma bilirubin levels, is a relatively common finding. This elevation can stem either from the overproduction of bilirubin or from impaired excretion, and it is observed in numerous conditions ranging from Viral Hepatitis to Pancreatic Cancer.



Last update: 06/08/2026

Editorial and Educational Adaptation: This material has been compiled based on the primary/original source text. The project team performed an editorial review, corrected technical inaccuracies, structured sections, and adapted the content for an educational format.

What was processed:

  • elimination of formatting defects (OCR errors, structural breaks, corrupted characters);
  • editorial organization of content;
  • standardization of terminology in accordance with academic sources;
  • verification of factual statements against the original source text.

All mentions of the author, publication year, and origin of the primary text have been preserved in accordance with the source.