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Which of the following is not a component of chlorophyll ?
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- Hydrogen
- Magnesium
- Carbon
- Calcium
Correct Option: D
Chlorophyll, a photo-receptive pigment, allows plants to absorb sunlight and synthesize it into carbohydrates and oxygen. The basic formula for photosynthesis takes 6 molecules of carbon dioxide and 6 molecules of water, reacts them in the presence of chlorophyll and sunlight (a catalyst), and converts them into 1 molecule of glucose (C6H12O6) and 6 molecules of oxygen. Chlorophyll is a chlorin pigment, which is structurally similar to and produced through the same metabolic pathway as other porphyrin pigments such as heme. At the center of the chlorin ring is a magnesium ion. The molecular formula of C55H70O6N4 Mg and a structure of (2-formyl)chlorophyll has been deduced based on NMR, optical and mass spectra.