Importance of

Chlorophyll
and Other
Pigments
 Learning Competency
Explain the importance of
chlorophyll and other
pigments. (STEM_BIO11/12-
lla-j-3)
 Learning Objectives:
 Knowledge: Identify various photosynthetic
pigments.
 Skill: Interpret graphs related to chlorophyll
absorption.
 Attitude: Appreciate photosynthetic
pigments as shown in the changing of colors
of the leaves during fall.
 Pigments for Photosynthesis

Photosynthesis in plants is dependent upon capturing

light energy in the pigment chlorophyll, and in
particular chlorophyll a. This chlorophyll resides
mostly in the chloroplasts and gives leaves their green
color. The range of light absorption in leaves is
extended by some accessory pigments such as
the carotenoids, but does not cover the entire visible
range - that would make the leaves black!
What is Chlorophyll?
a green pigment, present
in all green plants and in
cyanobacteria, responsible
for the absorption of light
to provide energy for
photosynthesis. Its
molecule contains a
magnesium atom held in a
porphyrin ring
 I. Chlorophyll a
 the primary pigment for photosynthesis in plants.
 It has the composition C55H72O5N4Mg.
 It exhibits a grass-green visual color and
absorption peaks at 430nm and 662nm.
 It occurs in all photosynthetic organisms except
photosynthetic bacteria.
▪ Chlorophyll a is a
specific form of
chlorophyll used in
oxygenic
photosynthesis.
▪ It absorbs most energy
from wavelengths of
violet-blue and orange-
red light, and it is a poor
absorber of green and
near-green portions of
the spectrum.
II. Chlorophyll b
 Chlorophyll b has the composition C55H70O6N4Mg
 the difference from chlorophyll-a being the
replacement of a methyl group with a CHO.
 Itexhibits a blue-green visual color and absorption
peaks at 453nm and 642nm.
 Itoccurs in all plants, green algae and some
prokaryotes.
 There is usually about half as much chlorophyll a as the
chlorophyll b variety in plants.
▪ Chlorophyll b is a form of
chlorophyll.
▪ It helps in photosynthesis
by absorbing light energy.
▪ It is more soluble than
chlorophyll a in polar
solvents because of its
carbonyl group.
▪ Its color is green, and it
primarily absorbs blue
light.
The main difference between chlorophyll a and b is their role in
photosynthesis; chlorophyll a is the principal pigment involved in the
photosynthesis whereas chlorophyll b is the accessory pigment, collecting the
energy in order to pass into chlorophyll a
 Other
Pigments
 Carotenoids
 Carotenoids, also called tetraterpenoids, are yellow, orange, and
red organic pigments that are produced by plants and algae, as well
as several bacteria, and fungi.
 The colors of the carotenoids are familiar as the fall colors of leaves.
As the leaves lose their chlorophyll, the more persistent carotenoids
give the pleasant reds, yellows and oranges of the autumn
foliage. Beta-carotene is the most important of the
carotenoids. Lycopene, the color of tomatoes, is also a carotenoid.
 Carotenoids are essential pigments in photosynthetic organs along
with chlorophylls. Carotenoids also act as photo-protectors,
antioxidants, color attractants, and precursors of plant hormones in
non-photosynthetic organs of plants.
 Beta Carotene
 Beta-carotene is a pigment found in plants
that gives them their color. The name beta-
carotene is derived from the Latin name for carrot.
It gives yellow and orange fruits and vegetables
their rich hues.
 β-Carotene is an organic, strongly coloured red-
orange pigment abundant in fungi, plants, and
fruits.
 It is a member of the carotenes, which are
terpenoids, synthesized biochemically from eight
isoprene units and thus having 40 carbons.
 Phytochrome
 Phytochrome is a photoreceptor, a pigment that
plants and some bacteria and fungi, use to detect
light. It is sensitive to light in the red and far-red
region of the visible spectrum.
 The phytochrome system acts as a biological light
switch. It monitors the level, intensity, duration,
and color of environmental light. The effect of
red light is reversible by immediately shining far-
red light on the sample, which converts the chromo
protein to the inactive photoreceptor form.
 Flavonoids
 Flavonoidsare structurally diverse secondary
metabolites in plants, with a multitude of
functions.
 These span from functions in regulating plant
development, pigmentation, and UV protection, to
an array of roles in defence and signalling between
plants and microorganisms.
 Lycopene
Lycopene is a plant nutrient with
antioxidant properties.
It's the pigment that gives red and pink
fruits, such as tomatoes, watermelons
and pink grapefruit, their characteristic
color.
 Phycobilins
 Phycobilins
are accessory photosynthetic pigments
that are found in cyanobacteria and red algae
 Theprimary function of phycobilins is to
supplement the light-capturing ability of Chl by
absorbing energy where Chl is not a very efficient
absorber
 Anthocyanins
 Anthocyanins are blue, red, or purple pigments
found in plants, especially flowers, fruits, and
tubers.
 In acidic condition, anthocyanin appears as red
pigment while in alkaline conditions, it exists as blue
pigment
 play a role not only in reproduction (by attracting
pollinators and seed dispersers), but also in
protection against various abiotic and biotic stresses.
 Photosynthetic Pigments Capture Sunlight

 Energy from the sun travels to Earth in the

form of light.
 Sunlight, which your eyes perceive as
“white” light, is actually a mixture of
different wavelengths of light.
 Many of these wavelengths are visible to
your eyes and make up what is known as
the visible light.
Visible light is a small silver of a
much larger electromagnetic
spectrum, the range of possible
frequencies of radiation (figure 2.1).
All electromagnetic radiation,
including light, consists of photons,
discrete packets of kinetic energy.
The shorter a photon’s wavelength
is the distance it moves during a
complete vibration. The shorter the
photon’s wavelength, the more
energy it contains.
Figure 2.1.The Electromagnetic Spectrum. Sunlight reaching the Earth consists
of ultraviolet radiation, visible light, and infrared radiation, all of which are
just a small part of a continuous spectrum of electromagnetic radiation. Short
wavelengths of light carry more energy than do long wavelengths.
 The sunlight that reaches the Earth’s surface
consists of three main components: ultraviolet
radiation, visible light, and infrared radiation.

Of the three, ultraviolet radiation is the

shortest wavelength. Its high-energy photons
damaged DNA, causing sunburn and skin cancer.
 In the middle range, is the visible light,
which provides the energy that powers
photosynthesis; we perceive visible light of
different wavelengths as distinct colors.

Infrared radiation, with its longer

wavelengths, contains too little energy per
photon to be useful to organisms. Most of its
energy is converted immediately to heat.
 Plant cells contain several pigment molecules
that capture light energy. The most abundant is
chlorophyll a, a green photosynthetic pigment
in plants, algae, and cyanobacteria.
Photosynthetic organisms usually also have
several types of accessory pigments, which are
energy capturing pigment molecules other than
chlorophyll a. Chlorophyll b and carotenoids are
accessory pigments in plants.
The photosynthetic pigments have distinct colors because
they absorb only some wavelengths of visible light, while
transmitting or reflecting others (figure 2.2).

Chlorophyll a and b absorbs red and blue wavelengths; they

appear green because they reflect green light. Carotenoids
on the other hand, reflect longer wavelengths of light, so
they appear red, orange, or yellow.
Figure 2.2. Everything but Green. (a) Each type of pigment absorbs some
wavelengths of light and reflect other. (b) A leaf reflects green and yellow
wavelengths of light, while absorbing the other wavelength.
Homework:
 Refer to the preceding graph in arriving at your answers.
Homework:
1. Which of the colors
absorbed by chlorophyll is
seen least?_________
2. What is its approximate
wavelength? __________
3. What percent of light
energy absorbed does this
peak represent? ____
4. How much of this color
is being reflected
________?
Homework:
5. What percent of light energy
absorbed by chlorophyll does the
orange spectrum peak represent?
__________
6. Why would you say there are no
peaks in the range between 500 nm and
600 nm? ____________________
7. Are you able to see the light in the
green-yellow part of the spectrum?
_______.Explain why. _______________
8. Arrange the colors in the absorption
spectrum of chlorophyll in order of
their visibility. Put the most visible
color first.________________