From Seed to Seed:
Plant Science for K-8 Educators

Digging Deeper

Pumping Iron

The chlorophyll molecule is relatively large and shaped something like a lollipop. At the top of the lollipop is a ring consisting of carbon, hydrogen, and nitrogen atoms surrounding a central magnesium atom.

Remarkably, if you could somehow remove that magnesium atom and replace it with an iron atom, you'd end up with what is essentially a molecule of hemoglobin! Hemoglobin is a molecule contained in animal blood that is responsible for transporting oxygen throughout the body. Nature really is amazing, isn't it?

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