i.

Chl-a : Universal Pigment (Found in all O2 liberating photosynthetic

Organisms)
Blue Green Colour in Chromatogram
ii. Chl-b : Accessory photosynthetic pigment found in Euglenoids, Green Algae
and Higher plants.
Yellowish green in chromatogram.
iii. Chl-c
iv. Chl-d
v. Chl-e
 Photosynthetic Pigments
 Chlorophyll-a C55H72O5N4Mg CH3 Group in IInd pyrrol ring
 Chlorophyll-b C55H70O6N4Mg CHO Group in IInd pyrrol ring
Structure of Chlorophyll :- Chlorophyll (Tadpole like)

Porphyrine Head Phytol Tail (C20H39OH)

• Size = 15 x 15 Å • Size = 20 Å
• It is Hydrophilic in nature • It is Hydrophobic
• It consist of four N-containing • Tail remains
pyrrol ring (together called as embedded in lipid
tetra pyrrol ring). bilayer of thylakoid
• All the N of pyrrol ring membrane.
connected with central
 Phytol tail is absent
structure with Mg present in
in Chl-c.
the centre.
Chlorophyll synthesis :
Light
Succinyl CoA + Glycine Protochlorophyll Chlorophyll
2H
• This reaction is catalyzed by Iron (Fe)
Photosynthetic Pigments
 Functions of carotenoids

1) They are accessory pigments and make photosynthesis more efficient

by absorbing different wavelengths of light.
2) They protect chl-a from photo oxidation and they also protect
photosynthetic machinery by converting lethal nascent oxygen into
unharmful molecular oxygen, Thus, also called shield pigments.

(3) β-carotene is acts as a precursor of vitamin-A

(4) They help in entomophily and zoochory.

 Phycobillins

3. Phycobillins :
• They are hot water soluble pigment
• They lack Mg and phytol tail.
Types of phycobillins:
i. Phycocyanin (Blue)
ii. Phycoerithrin (Red)
iii. Allophycocyanin (Light blue)
• They occur exclusively in BGA and Red algae as an accessory
pigments.