Photosynthetic pigment

A Photosynthetic pigment is a pigment present in chloroplasts which provides the energy necessary for photosynthesis.

There are five closelly-related photosynthetic pigments:

• Chlorophyll-a - a is blue-green pigment
• Chlorophyll-b - a yellow-green pigment
• Carotene' - carotene is an orange pigment
• Xanthophyll - is a yellow pigment
• Phaeophytin - phaephytin? is a grey pigment

Chlorophyll-a is the most common of the five, present in every plant which performs photosynthesis. The reason that there are so many is that each absorbs light more efficiently in a different part of the spectrum. Chlorophyll a absorbs well at a wavelength of about 400-450nm and again at 650-700nm. Chlorophyll b at 450-500nm. Xanthophyll? absorbs well 400-530nm. However none of the pigments absorb well in the green-yellow wavelengths and this is responsible for the abundant green we see in nature.