Difference Between Chlorophyll A and B

Chlorophyll A vs B

There can be no argument with regards to how important plants are in man’s life. Aside from keeping our environment healthy and delighting us with greenery, it is also commendable for nourishing us with proper nutrients and minerals for daily consumption. However, plants are also like humans. They also require what we need in order to sustain life.
The sun is a particular energy source that is both maximized by plants and humans. Chlorophyll, a green pigment, is found in all plants, algae, and cyanobacteria and is essential to obtain light energy. It was first discovered by Joseph Bienaimé Caventou and Pierre Joseph Pelletier in 1817.

Chlorophylls contain a polyphyrin ring. This is a stable ring-shaped molecule where electrons are free to migrate. As the electrons move freely, the ring has the potential to lose or gain electrons simply and, therefore, the probability to provide energized electrons to other molecules. This is where the process of chlorophyll capturing light to transform into energy revolves.

There are about six different structures of chlorophyll, which includes chlorophyll a, chlorophyll b, chlorophyll c1, chlorophyll c2, chlorophyll d, chlorophyll f. Let’s take a look between the first two listed structures.
Chlorophyll a, a blue-green pigment, is most common and prominent in all oxygen-evolving photosynthetic organisms, such as higher plants, and red and green algae. It contains sub-essential and accessory pigments that make it the predominant pigment for photosynthesis. It has a wavelength absorption maxima of 430nm and 662nm of the electromagnetic spectrum, which translates to violet and red. The molecular formula of chlorophyll a is C55H72O5N4Mg.

Chlorophyll a can also be found in very minute quantities in green sulfur bacteria, an anaerobic photoautotroph.
Chlorophyll b, on the other hand, is a yellow-green pigment which is present only in plants and green algae. It works as a light harvesting pigment that passes on the light excitation to chlorophyll a. It has wavelength absorption maxima of 453nm and 642nm of the electromagnetic spectrum, which corresponds to blue and red. The molecular formula of chlorophyll b is C55H70O6N4Mg.

Summary:

1.Chlorophyll, a green pigment, is found in all plants, algae, and cyanobacteria and is essential to obtain light energy.
2.Chlorophyll a, a blue-green pigment, is most common and prominent in all oxygen-evolving photosynthetic organisms, such as higher plants, red and green algae while Chlorophyll b is a yellow-green pigment which is present only in plants and green algae.
3.Chlorophyll a has a wavelength absorption maxima of 430nm and 662nm of the electromagnetic spectrum which translates to violet and red while Chlorophyll b has a wavelength absorption maxima of 453nm and 642nm of the electromagnetic spectrum which corresponds to blue and red.

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