What Is the Main Photosynthetic Pigment of Green Plants?

Chlorophyll is the pigment that makes plants green.

Chlorophyll, the main photosynthetic pigment in green plants, does more than give plants their green color; it also absorbs light, which allows plants to convert solar energy into chemical energy in the process known as photosynthesis.

Chlorophyll

Chlorophyll is a photosynthetic pigment found in most plants, algae, and cyanobacteria (or blue-green bacteria).

Photosynthesis

During photosynthesis, organisms convert carbon dioxide and water into sugar and oxygen gas, using light energy to drive the reaction.

Chloroplasts

Photosynthesis takes places in the chloroplasts of the plants cells, which are green-pigmented discs that act as a kind of "solar panel" for the plants.

Function

Chlorophyll functions by absorbing light in the blue and red portions of the electromagnetic spectrum. That energy is then transferred to the reaction centers in the plant's "photo systems" within the chloroplasts.

Significance

Annually, photosynthesis produces 176 billion tons of carbohydrate in the form of sugars.

References

• "Biology: Concepts and Connections;" Neil A. Campbell; 2009
• Kimball: Light Reactions