Structure of Chlorophyll - The emperical formula of chlorophyll a is C55H72O5N4Mg. Chlorophyll a is a blue-green microcrystalline solid, consisting of a 'head' and a 'tail'.
The head consists of a porphyrin ring or tetrapyrrole nucleus, from which extends a tail made up of a 20-carbon grouping called the phytol.
The porphyrins are complex carbon nitrogen molecules that usually surround a metal. In chlorophyll the porphyrin, surrounds a magnesium ion while in haemoglobin it surrounds an iron, ion.
