What is Chlorophyll ?

Chlorophyll, any member of the most important category of pigs involved in photosynthesis, is the process by which light energy is converted into chemical energy through the synthesis of organic compounds. It is found in almost all photosynthetic organisms, including green vegetation, cyanobacteria, and algae. It absorbs energy from sun light and convert it to carbon dioxide and carbohydrate.

Types of chlorophyll:

There are 2 major types of chlorophyll. Chlorophyl a and chlorophyll b. however other rare types of chlorophyll are chlorophyl c, d, and e.

Chlorophyll occurs in several different ways:

Chlorophylls a and b are the major species found in high plants and green algae; chlorophyll c and d are found, usually containing a, in different algae; chlorophyll e is a rare species found in other gold algae; and bacterio-chlorophyll is derived from certain viruses. In green plants chlorophyll is derived from units such as membranous discs (thylakoids) in organelle called chloroplasts.

Chlorophyll a absorbs violet and orange light very well. Chlorophyll b absorbs most of the light blue and yellow. Both also absorb light from other waves with minimal force. However, none of them absorb the greenish color. This is the reason the leaves look green as this wavelength is not absorbed but reflected.

Their molecules have a ring-shaped end - called porphyrin - with a magnesium ion in the center. When you boil a leaf in water, this magnesium ion is replaced by hydrogen ion i.e., proton - and the color changes from a bright green to a faint color of highly cooked broccoli. Minor changes in cellular structure led to significant behavioral changes. In addition, chlorophyll a and b differ only in porphyrin, chlorophyll a is the methyl group (-CH3) and chlorophyll b is the aldehyde group (-CHO) in place of C7, but is sufficient significantly alter the absorption spectrum of molecules.