An Historical Introduction to Porphyrin and Chlorophyll Synthesis

Introduction Porphyrins are the extroverts of chemistry. Bright purple and fluorescent, they are used biologically in the processes of energy capture and utilization. Porphyrins are the key to life. It has been suggested that abiotic formation of porphyrins, in particular uroporphyrinogen would have provided the first pigments necessary for the eventual synthesis of the chlorophylls. This would have facilitated the emergence of simple photosynthetic organisms in primordial earth through enhanced efficiency of energy capture and utilisation (Fig. 1).