Chlorophyll

Chlorophyll is a green photosynthetic pigment found in plants, algae, and cyanobacteria. Its name is derived from ancient Greek: chloros = green and phyllon = leaf. The first step in photosynthesis is when incoming light is absorbed by chlorophyll, ionizing it. The resulting chemical energy is then captured in the form of ATP, and ultimately used to convert carbon dioxide and water to carbohydrates and oxygen. Chlorophyll absorbs most in the red and blue portions of the electromagnetic spectrum, thus its intense green color. Chlorophyll also receives energy indirectly from accessory pigments, such as the carotenoids, which also absorb light and transform it to electropotential but whose function is to transfer that energy to chlorophyll.

Related Topics:
Photosynthetic pigment - Plant - Alga - Cyanobacteria - Greek - Green - Leaf - Ion - ATP - Carbon dioxide - Carbohydrate - Oxygen - Electromagnetic spectrum - Carotenoid

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