Wednesday, August 29, 2012

Molecular structure of chlorophyll a

3-D model of chlorophyll a molecule
wikimedia
The chemical formula of Chlorophyll a is C55H72O5N4Mg

The heart of chlorophyll a - which is the most common form in Nature - has a single Magnesium ion (green in the model). The core is surrounded by four Natrium (blue) and five Oxygen atoms (red) and framed in 55 Carbon (black) and 77 Hydrogen atoms (white).

The long "antenna" is a phytol chain. "Phytol is an acyclic diterpene alcohol that can be used as a precursor for the manufacture of synthetic forms of vitamin E and vitamin K1. In ruminants, the gut fermentation of ingested plant materials liberates phytol, a constituent of chlorophyll, which is then converted to phytanic acid and stored in fats." (wikipedia)


Chlorophyll a structure
wikimedia

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