Chlorophyll and Other Pigments PDF

TOPIC: Chlorophyll and other Pigments Most Essential Learning Competency Explain the importance of chlorophyll and other pigments (STEM_BIO11/12-IIa-j-3). Pigments Pigments are substances that absorb visible light. A pigment is any colored material found in a plant or animal...

TOPIC: Chlorophyll and other Pigments Most Essential Learning Competency Explain the importance of chlorophyll and other pigments (STEM_BIO11/12-IIa-j-3). Pigments Pigments are substances that absorb visible light. A pigment is any colored material found in a plant or animal cell. Pigments are what give color to our skin, hair and eyes. They are also what color plants. Pigments make things appear to be certain colors because they absorb and reflect different wavelengths of light. Pigments are the means by which plants capture the sun’s energy to be used in photosynthesis. However, since each pigment absorbs only a narrow range of wavelength, there is usually a need to produce several kinds of pigments of different colors to capture more of the sun’s energy. There are three major pigments found in plants. These are chlorophylls, carotenoids, and flavonoids. 1. Chlorophylls Chlorophyll is the greenish pigment found in the thylakoid membrane inside the chloroplast of a plant cell. Chlorophyll absorbs blue and red light while it transmits and reflects green light. The double bonds in chlorophyll a and b are essential for photosynthesis because they allow these pigments to absorb light energy, which is the initial step in the process of converting solar energy into chemical energy. A. Chlorophyll a This is the primary pigment in photosynthetic organisms, including plants, algae, and cyanobacteria. Chlorophyll a absorbs light most effectively in the red and blue regions of the electromagnetic spectrum. B. Chlorophyll b Chlorophyll b is an accessory pigment that complements the action of chlorophyll a. It absorbs light in the blue and red-orange regions of the spectrum, extending the range of wavelengths that can be utilized for photosynthesis. 2. Carotenoids They absorb light from violet to the greenish-blue range. They also play a role in photoprotection by dissipating excess energy as heat, which helps prevent damage to the photosynthetic apparatus. 3. Flavonoids Flavonoids are a family of compounds found in plants. They produce red, yellow, blue and purple colors. The most common type of flavonoid is anthocyanin which is found in cell vacuoles. The red color in roses, apples, cherries, red cabbage and autumn maple leaves, is due to anthocyanins. 4. Phycobilins A water-soluble pigment that is commonly found in cyanobacteria (blue-green algae) and red algae. These pigments play a crucial role in photosynthesis and light absorption in organisms that contain them. They are particularly important in capturing light energy in regions of the spectrum where chlorophylls are less efficient. References https://letstalkscience.ca/educational-resources/backgrounders/plant-pigments https://www.thoughtco.com/the-visible-light-spectrum-2699036 https://www.researchgate.net/figure/Molecular-structure-of-chlorophyll-a-and-chlorophyll-b_fig1_283281046 https://www.researchgate.net/figure/Chemical-structure-of-beta-carotene_fig2_327981139 General Biology 1 Lecture – Chlorophyll and other Pigments. Prepared for Bauan Technical Integrated High School Grade 11 STEM students.