2 - Importance of Plant Pigments

• ➢helps make

  photosynthesis

  happen by

  absorbing

  light energy

  from the sun.

  CHLOROPHYLL
• ➢All colors of visible

  light except green

  are absorbed

  CHLOROPHYLL
• ➢If all colors of

  visible light are

  absorbed, the

  pigment appears

  black to our eyes.
• if

  all colors or

  wavelengths of light

  are reflected, the

  pigment appears

  white to our eyes.
• ➢Chlorophylls appear

  green because the

  pigments absorb light

  on all the color ranges,

  and only green is

  transmitted to our eyes.
• ➢Chlorophyll a is the

  core pigment that

  absorbs sunlight for

  light-dependent

  photosynthesis.
• ➢It absorbs more in

  the blue and

  orange-red ranges.

  ➢It looks yellowish

  green.

  Chlorophyll b
• ➢They absorb

  light from

  violet to the

  greenish-blue

  range.

  Carotenoids
• ➢They appear in

  various shades

  of yellow or

  yellow orange to

  our eyes.

  Carotenoids
• ➢They cluster next

  to chlorophyll a

  molecules to

  efficiently hand off

  absorbed photons.

  Carotenoids
• ➢They do not

  participate in

  photosynthesis and

  may appear red,

  purple, or blue.

  Anthocyanins
• ➢They occur widely

  among higher plants.

  ➢They are pigments that

  generally give color to

  flowers but also occur in

  leaves and fruits.

  Anthocyanins
• ➢In leaves, these

  pigments often help

  to protect against

  excessive sunlight

  that can damage

  some leaf tissues.

  Anthocyanins
• ➢This is one reason

  why a young, newly

  developing leaf is

  often redder than

  when it reaches its

  mature size.

  Anthocyanins
• ➢They pass along

  light energy to

  chlorophyll a and

  act as

  antioxidants.

  Xanthophylls
• ➢The molecular structure gives

  xanthophylls the ability to accept

  or donate electrons.
• Xanthophyll

  pigments produce

  the yellow color in

  fall leaves.
• the photosynthetic

  cells.

  Mesophyll cells
• ➢These cells possess

  specialized

  structures called

  chloroplasts where

  photosynthetic

  pigments are located
• ➢Other pigments

  that are not

  involved in

  photosynthesis

  are stored in the

  vacuole.
• Accessory

  pigments are

  important since

  they help absorb

  light and then

  pass the energy to

  chlorophyll a, a

  primary pigment.