What is the Formula for Chlorophyll?
The most common form of chlorophyll, chlorophyll a, has the molecular formula C₅₅H₇₂MgN₄O₅.
Several reputable sources, including PubChem (https://pubchem.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/compound/16667503) and the American Chemical Society (https://www.acs.org/molecule-of-the-week/archive/c/chlorophyll.html), confirm this formula. This formula represents the elemental composition of chlorophyll a, showing the number of atoms of each element present in one molecule. Note that other forms of chlorophyll, like chlorophyll b, have slightly different formulas.
- C₅₅: 55 Carbon atoms
- H₇₂: 72 Hydrogen atoms
- Mg: 1 Magnesium atom
- N₄: 4 Nitrogen atoms
- O₅: 5 Oxygen atoms
The presence of magnesium (Mg) is crucial; it's located at the center of the chlorophyll molecule and is essential for its function in photosynthesis.
Different Types of Chlorophyll
While chlorophyll a is the most prevalent, other types exist, such as chlorophyll b. These variations have slightly different chemical structures and molecular formulas, resulting in subtle differences in their light absorption properties. For example, chlorophyll b plays a role in harvesting light energy, passing that energy to chlorophyll a for use in photosynthesis.
The formula provided above, C₅₅H₇₂MgN₄O₅, specifically refers to chlorophyll a. Determining the formula for chlorophyll b would require specifying that variation.
