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Chlorophyll Other Pigments

Chlorophyll and other pigments are essential for photosynthesis. Chlorophyll absorbs blue and red light, while accessory pigments like carotenoids absorb other wavelengths and transfer energy to chlorophyll. Photosystems, consisting of light-harvesting complexes and reaction centers, absorb photons using these pigments to drive the light reactions of photosynthesis. Photosystem II uses P680 and functions first, while Photosystem I uses P700.

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155 views25 pages

Chlorophyll Other Pigments

Chlorophyll and other pigments are essential for photosynthesis. Chlorophyll absorbs blue and red light, while accessory pigments like carotenoids absorb other wavelengths and transfer energy to chlorophyll. Photosystems, consisting of light-harvesting complexes and reaction centers, absorb photons using these pigments to drive the light reactions of photosynthesis. Photosystem II uses P680 and functions first, while Photosystem I uses P700.

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jeffrey bacay
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© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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THE IMPORTANCE OF

CHLOROPHYLL AND
OTHER PIGMENTS
How Plants Make Food - Photosynthesis
Energy from the sun
drives all the Earth’s
food chains. Green
plants trap the sun’s
solar energy in
photosynthesis and
some of this energy is
then passed onto
consumers.

Therefore, all food


production (plant or
animal) depends on the
process of
photosynthesis
CHLOROPLAST STRUCTURE
Ensures a large
surface area of
photosynthetic
pigment for absorption
of light energy
Light energy in Photosynthesis
When light strikes a leaf there are
3 possible outcomes
The fate of light when it hits a leaf
White light
hitting a Reflected

Whi
leaf (or any

te
surface) will
be either: light

Absorbed

Transmitted
What is light?
Light is a form of electromagnetic radiation which travels
in waves.
Wavelength

Light
wave

The distance between two crests on a wave is called


the wavelength and is measured in nanometres (nm).

(1 nm = 10-9 m)
Spectrum of light
Most people cannot see below 400nm or above
700nm (visible part of the spectrum).
Visible light is made up of a spectrum of
different colours.

Each colour of light has


a different wavelength.

400 nm 500 nm 600 nm 700 nm


Light Spectrum
When a beam of light passes through a prism
the VISIBLE spectrum of light is produced.
The colour that we see is the colour that has been reflected
i.e. it has NOT been ABSORBED
If a colour has been absorbed it appears black
to the human eye

Spectrum

This shows that


most of the blue
and red
wavelengths have
been absorbed
Light absorption by leaf pigments

Leaves contain several coloured pigments of


which chlorophyll is the most important.

The different pigments absorb a different


range of wavelengths of light to generate ATP
and for photolysis.
Photosynthetic Pigments

Principal Pigments
Chlorophyll a
Chlorophyll b

Accessory Pigments (carotenoids)


Carotene
Xanthophyll
Photosynthetic Pigments
Chlorophyll is the main pigment that absorbs red & blue light
whereas accessory pigments broaden the absorption spectra by
absorbing other colours of light.

Accessory pigments extend the range of wavelengths absorbed


and pass the energy onto chlorophyll for photosynthesis.

400 nm 500 nm 600 nm 700 nm


Chromatography
Chromatography is a method for separating the 4 Pigments by
their SOLUBILITY

The pigments are extracted from the plant and separated on


chromatography paper.

The more soluble the pigment, the further it will travel up


the paper.
Plant Absorption Spectrum
Photosynthetic
Pigments All these colours have
been absorbed by the
pigment.

The colour we see is green/blue - light that has been


reflected/transmitted
Plant Result
The reflected wavelengths are mainly green.
This is why chlorophyll appears green to the eye.

Spectrum
Absorption Spectra
The degree of absorption at each wavelength of light can be
measured using a spectrometer.

The data is then used to plot a graph (Absorption Spectra) for


each pigment.
Role of pigments
Chlorophyll a and b
complex molecules containing
Magnesium which absorb light
energy in red/blue regions which
is used for photosynthesis.

Carotene & xanthophyll


absorb light mainly in green part
of the spectrum and pass on the
energy to chlorophyll.
PHOTOSYSTEM
A photosystem is an aggregate of
pigments and proteins in the thylakoid
membrane responsible for the absorption
of photons and the transfer of energy
and electrons. It is composed of:
PHOTOSYSTEM
1. Light-harvesting complex— is
also called the ‘antenna’ complex
and is consisted of several
different pigments (chlorophyll a,
chlorophyll b, and carotenoids)
bounded with proteins. When a
pigment molecule absorbs a
photon, energy is passed on
from one pigment molecule to
another pigment molecule until
the energy reaches the reaction
center.
PHOTOSYSTEM
2. Reaction-center
complex—is composed of
a pair of chlorophyll a and
a primary electron
acceptor. The primary
electron acceptor is a
specialized molecule that
is able to accept electrons
from the pair of
chlorophyll a.
TWO TYPES OF PHOTOSYSTEM
1. Photosystem II—was discovered later after
the discovery of Photosystem I, but functions
first in the light reaction of photosynthesis.
The chlorophyll a in the reaction-center of
Photosystem II effectively absorbs light with
a wavelength of 680nm and thus called P680.
TWO TYPES OF PHOTOSYSTEM
2. Photosystem I—was discovered first.
Its reaction-center has a chlorophyll a
called P700 because it is effective in
absorbing light with a wavelength of
700nm.

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