} Chlorophyll ''a'' is a specific form of

chlorophyll Chlorophyll is any of several related green pigments found in cyanobacteria and in the chloroplasts of algae and plants. Its name is derived from the Greek words (, "pale green") and (, "leaf"). Chlorophyll allows plants to absorb energy ...

used in

oxygen Oxygen is a chemical element; it has chemical symbol, symbol O and atomic number 8. It is a member of the chalcogen group (periodic table), group in the periodic table, a highly reactivity (chemistry), reactive nonmetal (chemistry), non ...

photosynthesis Photosynthesis ( ) is a system of biological processes by which photosynthetic organisms, such as most plants, algae, and cyanobacteria, convert light energy, typically from sunlight, into the chemical energy necessary to fuel their metabo ...

. It absorbs most energy from

wavelengths In physics and mathematics, wavelength or spatial period of a wave or periodic function is the distance over which the wave's shape repeats. In other words, it is the distance between consecutive corresponding points of the same '' phase'' on ...

of violet-blue and orange-red light, and it is a poor absorber of green and near-green portions of the spectrum. Chlorophyll does not reflect light but chlorophyll-containing tissues appear green because green light is diffusively reflected by structures like cell walls. This

photosynthetic pigment A photosynthetic pigment (accessory pigment; chloroplast pigment; antenna pigment) is a pigment that is present in chloroplasts or photosynthetic bacteria and captures the light energy necessary for photosynthesis. List of photosynthetic pigmen ...

is essential for photosynthesis in

eukaryote The eukaryotes ( ) constitute the Domain (biology), domain of Eukaryota or Eukarya, organisms whose Cell (biology), cells have a membrane-bound cell nucleus, nucleus. All animals, plants, Fungus, fungi, seaweeds, and many unicellular organisms ...

cyanobacteria Cyanobacteria ( ) are a group of autotrophic gram-negative bacteria that can obtain biological energy via oxygenic photosynthesis. The name "cyanobacteria" () refers to their bluish green (cyan) color, which forms the basis of cyanobacteri ...

and prochlorophytes because of its role as primary electron donor in the

electron transport chain An electron transport chain (ETC) is a series of protein complexes and other molecules which transfer electrons from electron donors to electron acceptors via redox reactions (both reduction and oxidation occurring simultaneously) and couples th ...

. Chlorophyll ''a'' also transfers resonance energy in the antenna complex, ending in the reaction center where specific chlorophylls P680 and

P700 P700, or photosystem I primary donor, is a molecular dimer of chlorophyll ''a'' associated with the reaction-center of photosystem I in plants, algae, and cyanobacteria. Etymology Its name is derived from the word “pigment” (P) and the ...

are located.

Distribution of chlorophyll ''a''

Chlorophyll ''a'' is essential for most photosynthetic organisms to release

chemical energy Chemical energy is the energy of chemical substances that is released when the substances undergo a chemical reaction and transform into other substances. Some examples of storage media of chemical energy include batteries, Schmidt-Rohr, K. (20 ...

but is not the only pigment that can be used for photosynthesis. All oxygenic photosynthetic organisms use chlorophyll ''a'', but differ in accessory pigments like chlorophyll ''b''. Chlorophyll ''a'' can also be found in very small quantities in the

green sulfur bacteria The green sulfur bacteria are a phylum, Chlorobiota, of obligately anaerobic photoautotrophic bacteria that metabolize sulfur. Green sulfur bacteria are nonmotile (except ''Chloroherpeton thalassium'', which may glide) and capable of anoxyg ...

, an

anaerobic Anaerobic means "living, active, occurring, or existing in the absence of free oxygen", as opposed to aerobic which means "living, active, or occurring only in the presence of oxygen." Anaerobic may also refer to: *Adhesive#Anaerobic, Anaerobic ad ...

photoautotroph. These organisms use

bacteriochlorophyll Bacteriochlorophylls (BChl) are photosynthetic pigments that occur in various phototrophic bacteria. They were discovered by C. B. van Niel in 1932. They are related to chlorophylls, which are the primary pigments in plants, algae, and cyanobacte ...

and some chlorophyll ''a'' but do not produce oxygen.

Anoxygenic photosynthesis Anoxygenic photosynthesis is a special form of photosynthesis used by some bacteria and archaea, which differs from the better known oxygenic photosynthesis in plants in the reductant used (e.g. hydrogen sulfide instead of water) and the byproduc ...

is the term applied to this process, unlike

oxygenic photosynthesis Photosynthesis ( ) is a system of biological processes by which photosynthetic organisms, such as most plants, algae, and cyanobacteria, convert light energy, typically from sunlight, into the chemical energy necessary to fuel their metaboli ...

where oxygen is produced during the light reactions of

Molecular structure

The molecular structure of chlorophyll ''a'' consists of a

chlorin In organic chemistry, chlorins are tetrapyrrole pigments that are partially hydrogenation, hydrogenated porphyrins. The parent chlorin is an unstable compound which undergoes air oxidation to porphine. The name chlorin derives from chlorophyll. ...

ring, whose four nitrogen atoms surround a central

magnesium Magnesium is a chemical element; it has Symbol (chemistry), symbol Mg and atomic number 12. It is a shiny gray metal having a low density, low melting point and high chemical reactivity. Like the other alkaline earth metals (group 2 ...

atom, and has several other attached side chains and a hydrocarbon tail formed by a

phytol Phytol (florasol, phytosol) is an acyclic hydrogenated diterpene alcohol that is used as a precursor for the manufacture of synthetic forms of vitamin E and vitamin K1, as well as in the fragrance industry. Its other commercial uses include co ...

ester In chemistry, an ester is a compound derived from an acid (either organic or inorganic) in which the hydrogen atom (H) of at least one acidic hydroxyl group () of that acid is replaced by an organyl group (R). These compounds contain a distin ...

Chlorin ring

Chlorophyll ''a'' contains a magnesium

ion An ion () is an atom or molecule with a net electrical charge. The charge of an electron is considered to be negative by convention and this charge is equal and opposite to the charge of a proton, which is considered to be positive by convent ...

encased in a large ring structure known as a

. The chlorin ring is a

heterocyclic compound A heterocyclic compound or ring structure is a cyclic compound that has atoms of at least two different elements as members of its ring(s). Heterocyclic organic chemistry is the branch of organic chemistry dealing with the synthesis, proper ...

derived from

pyrrole Pyrrole is a heterocyclic, aromatic, organic compound, a five-membered ring with the formula . It is a colorless volatile liquid that darkens readily upon exposure to air. Substituted derivatives are also called pyrroles, e.g., ''N''-methylpyrrol ...

. Four nitrogen atoms from the chlorin surround and bind the magnesium atom. The magnesium center uniquely defines the structure as a chlorophyll molecule. The porphyrin ring of

is saturated, and lacking alternation of double and single bonds causing variation in absorption of light.

Side chains

Side chains are attached to the chlorin ring of the various chlorophyll molecules. Different side chains characterize each type of chlorophyll molecule, and alters the absorption spectrum of light. For instance, the only difference between chlorophyll ''a'' and chlorophyll ''b'' is that chlorophyll ''b'' has an

aldehyde In organic chemistry, an aldehyde () (lat. ''al''cohol ''dehyd''rogenatum, dehydrogenated alcohol) is an organic compound containing a functional group with the structure . The functional group itself (without the "R" side chain) can be referred ...

instead of a methyl group at the C-7 position.

Hydrocarbon tail

The phytol ester of chlorophyll ''a'' (R in the diagram) is a long

hydrophobic In chemistry, hydrophobicity is the chemical property of a molecule (called a hydrophobe) that is seemingly repelled from a mass of water. In contrast, hydrophiles are attracted to water. Hydrophobic molecules tend to be nonpolar and, thu ...

tail which anchors the molecule to other hydrophobic proteins in the

thylakoid membrane Thylakoids are membrane-bound compartments inside chloroplasts and cyanobacteria. They are the site of the light-dependent reactions of photosynthesis. Thylakoids consist of a thylakoid membrane surrounding a thylakoid lumen. Chloroplast thyl ...

of the

chloroplast A chloroplast () is a type of membrane-bound organelle, organelle known as a plastid that conducts photosynthesis mostly in plant cell, plant and algae, algal cells. Chloroplasts have a high concentration of chlorophyll pigments which captur ...

. Once detached from the porphyrin ring, phytol becomes the precursor of two

biomarker In biomedical contexts, a biomarker, or biological marker, is a measurable indicator of some biological state or condition. Biomarkers are often measured and evaluated using blood, urine, or soft tissues to examine normal biological processes, ...

pristane Pristane is a natural Saturated and unsaturated compounds, saturated terpenoid alkane obtained primarily from shark liver oil, from which its name is derived (Latin ''pristis'', "shark"). It is also found in the stomach oil of birds in the order Pr ...

and

phytane Phytane is the Diterpenoid, isoprenoid alkane formed when phytol, a chemical substituent of chlorophyll, loses its Hydroxy group, hydroxyl group. When phytol loses one carbon atom, it yields pristane. Other sources of phytane and pristane have al ...

, which are important in the study of

geochemistry Geochemistry is the science that uses the tools and principles of chemistry to explain the mechanisms behind major geological systems such as the Earth's crust and its oceans. The realm of geochemistry extends beyond the Earth, encompassing the e ...

and the determination of petroleum sources.

Biosynthesis

The Chlorophyll ''a''

biosynthetic pathway In biochemistry, a metabolic pathway is a linked series of chemical reactions occurring within a cell. The reactants, products, and intermediates of an enzymatic reaction are known as metabolites, which are modified by a sequence of chemical re ...

utilizes a variety of

enzymes An enzyme () is a protein that acts as a biological catalyst by accelerating chemical reactions. The molecules upon which enzymes may act are called substrates, and the enzyme converts the substrates into different molecules known as pro ...

. In most plants, chlorophyll is derived from

glutamate Glutamic acid (symbol Glu or E; known as glutamate in its anionic form) is an α-amino acid that is used by almost all living beings in the biosynthesis of proteins. It is a Essential amino acid, non-essential nutrient for humans, meaning that ...

and is synthesised along a branched pathway that is shared with

heme Heme (American English), or haem (Commonwealth English, both pronounced /Help:IPA/English, hi:m/ ), is a ring-shaped iron-containing molecule that commonly serves as a Ligand (biochemistry), ligand of various proteins, more notably as a Prostheti ...

and

siroheme Siroheme (or sirohaem) is a heme-like prosthetic group at the active sites of some enzymes to accomplish the six-electron reduction of sulfur and nitrogen. It is a cofactor at the active site of sulfite reductase, which plays a major role in su ...

. The initial steps incorporate glutamic acid into 5-aminolevulinic acid (ALA); two molecules of ALA are then reduced to

porphobilinogen Porphobilinogen (PBG) is an organic compound that occurs in living organisms as an intermediate in the biosynthesis of porphyrins, which include critical substances like hemoglobin and chlorophyll. The structure of the molecule can be described ...

(PBG), and four molecules of PBG are coupled, forming

protoporphyrin Protoporphyrin IX is an organic compound, classified as a porphyrin, that plays an important role in living organisms as a precursor to other critical compounds like heme (hemoglobin) and chlorophyll. It is a deeply colored solid that is not sol ...

IX. Chlorophyll synthase is the enzyme that completes the biosynthesis of chlorophyll ''a'' by catalysing the reaction :chlorophyllide ''a'' + phytyl diphosphate

\rightleftharpoons

chlorophyll ''a'' + diphosphate This forms an ester of the carboxylic acid group in chlorophyllide ''a'' with the 20-carbon

diterpene Diterpenes are a class of terpenes composed of four isoprene units, often with the molecular formula C20H32. They are biosynthesized by plants, animals and fungi via the HMG-CoA reductase pathway, with geranylgeranyl pyrophosphate being a primary ...

alcohol

Reactions of photosynthesis

Absorbance of light

Light spectrum

Chlorophyll ''a'' absorbs light within the violet,

blue Blue is one of the three primary colours in the RYB color model, RYB colour model (traditional colour theory), as well as in the RGB color model, RGB (additive) colour model. It lies between Violet (color), violet and cyan on the optical spe ...

and

red Red is the color at the long wavelength end of the visible spectrum of light, next to orange and opposite violet. It has a dominant wavelength of approximately 625–750 nanometres. It is a primary color in the RGB color model and a seconda ...

wavelengths. Accessory photosynthetic pigments broaden the spectrum of light absorbed, increasing the range of wavelengths that can be used in photosynthesis. The addition of chlorophyll ''b'' next to chlorophyll ''a'' extends the

absorption spectrum Absorption spectroscopy is spectroscopy that involves techniques that measure the absorption of electromagnetic radiation, as a function of frequency or wavelength, due to its interaction with a sample. The sample absorbs energy, i.e., photons, ...

. In low light conditions, plants produce a greater ratio of chlorophyll ''b'' to chlorophyll ''a'' molecules, increasing photosynthetic yield.

Light gathering

Absorption of light by photosynthetic pigments converts photons into chemical energy.

Light energy In physics, and in particular as measured by radiometry, radiant energy is the energy of electromagnetic and gravitational radiation. As energy, its SI unit is the joule (J). The quantity of radiant energy may be calculated by integrating radian ...

radiating onto the

strikes the pigments in the

thylakoid Thylakoids are membrane-bound compartments inside chloroplasts and cyanobacterium, cyanobacteria. They are the site of the light-dependent reactions of photosynthesis. Thylakoids consist of a #Membrane, thylakoid membrane surrounding a #Lumen, ...

membrane and excites their electrons. Since the chlorophyll ''a'' molecules only capture certain wavelengths, organisms may use accessory pigments to capture a wider range of light energy shown as the yellow circles. It then transfers captured light from one pigment to the next as resonance energy, passing energy one pigment to the other until reaching the special chlorophyll ''a'' molecules in the reaction center. These special chlorophyll ''a'' molecules are located in both

photosystem II Photosystem II (or water-plastoquinone oxidoreductase) is the first protein complex in the light-dependent reactions of oxygenic photosynthesis. It is located in the thylakoid membrane of plants, algae, and cyanobacteria. Within the photosystem ...

and

photosystem I Photosystem I (PSI, or plastocyanin–ferredoxin oxidoreductase) is one of two photosystems in the Light-dependent reactions, photosynthetic light reactions of algae, plants, and cyanobacteria. Photosystem I is an integral membrane ...

. They are known as P680 for Photosystem II and

for Photosystem I. P680 and P700 are the primary

electron donor In chemistry, an electron donor is a chemical entity that transfers electrons to another compound. It is a reducing agent that, by virtue of its donating electrons, is itself oxidized in the process. An obsolete definition equated an electron dono ...

s to the electron transport chain. These two systems are different in their redox potentials for one-electron oxidation. The E_m for P700 is approximately 500mV, while the E_m for P680 is approximately 1,100-1,200 mV.

Primary electron donation

Chlorophyll ''a'' is very important in the energy phase of photosynthesis. Two

electrons The electron (, or in nuclear reactions) is a subatomic particle with a negative one elementary charge, elementary electric charge. It is a fundamental particle that comprises the ordinary matter that makes up the universe, along with up qua ...

need to be passed to an

electron acceptor An electron acceptor is a chemical entity that accepts electrons transferred to it from another compound. Electron acceptors are oxidizing agents. The electron accepting power of an electron acceptor is measured by its redox potential. In the ...

for the process of photosynthesis to proceed. Within the reaction centers of both photosystems there are a pair of chlorophyll ''a'' molecules that pass electrons on to the transport chain through

redox Redox ( , , reduction–oxidation or oxidation–reduction) is a type of chemical reaction in which the oxidation states of the reactants change. Oxidation is the loss of electrons or an increase in the oxidation state, while reduction is t ...

reactions.

Ocean

The concentration of chlorophyll A is used as an index of phytoplankton biomass. In the ocean, phytoplankton all contain the chlorophyll pigment, which has a greenish color. Phytoplankton are microscopic organisms that live in watery environments and changes in the amount of phytoplankton indicate the change in productivity of the ocean. Phytoplankton can be affected indirectly by climatic factors, such as changes in water temperatures and surface winds.

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Chlorophyll A Tetrapyrroles Photosynthetic pigments