Porphyrin metabolism - Bombus impatiens (common eastern bumble bee)

Porphyrins are a group of chemical compounds with the backbone ring structure consisting of four linked pyrrole units. Metal complexes of porphyrins, as well as those of corrinoids with the one-carbon shorter ring structure, play important biological roles. They include iron-containing heme, magnesium-containing chlorophyll, nickel-containing coenzyme F430 and cobalt-containing cobamide (such as vitamin B12 coenzyme) as shown in this map.