chlorophyll and hemoglobin strcuture alike?

Question

I found a website that said, "Chlorophyll, a substance found exclusively in plants, has a structure similar to hemoglobin, the substance in blood that is responsible for transporting oxygen. During the 1940s, researchers found that consuming chlorophyll enhances the body's ability to produce hemoglobin, thus improving the efficiency of oxygen transport."

I thought the structure of   chlorophyll  and hemoglobin weren't similar .  One is a protein and  the other isn't. Is this true?  

 Thanks

Mr Hex Vision · Accepted Answer

The core center of Chlorophyll and hemolgobin are porphyins.

In the case of Chlorophyll the center of the porphyin there is a Mg 2+ atom, in the case of hemoglobin the atom at the centre is Iron.

I would guess that then chlorophyll is consumed that the basic structure is simply converted into the basic structure of hemoglobin cutting out many bio-synthesic pathways. Ie it has a major starting material which is easlier to use instead of starting from the begining.

Douggie · Answer

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chlorophyll and  hemoglobin strcuture alike?
I found a website that said, &quot;Chlorophyll, a substance found exclusively in plants, has a structure similar to hemoglobin, the substance in blood that is responsible for transporting oxygen. During the 1940s, researchers found that consuming chlorophyll enhances the body&#39;s ability to...

t b · Answer

Chlorophyll and heme (not hemoglobin) are similar.  As you indicated they are not proteins, but are pigmented organic molecules that are often coordinated within proteins (hence hemoglobin) and play a critical role in the function of those proteins such as electron transfer, diatomic gas sensing and transfer, etc.

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chlorophyll and hemoglobin strcuture alike?

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