Question

Accessory pigments transfer their energy to chlorophyll molecules through
A) Fluorescence
B) Resonance
C) Radiation
D) Transduction

Answer 1

Hint: Chlorophyll absorbs light and, in photosystem I and photosystem II, uses this as energy transport to energise reaction centres.

Complete answer:
First we should know about pigments to answer this question. Pigments are classified as a group of intensely coloured compounds that are used in the colouring of other substances. These colouring compounds are often referred to as biological pigments or biochromes, which refer primarily to the true pigments. In the method known as photosynthesis, plants have a special function of absorbing light energy and transforming it into sugars. The mechanism starts with the absorption of light energy by a complex type of organic molecules called pigments. A biological mechanism, photosynthesis, includes green coloured pigment called chlorophyll along with other types of pigments of yellow and red colour.
Now, let us find the solution from the options-
As a light photon is absorbed, the pigment molecule enters an excited state. For 10-9 seconds, the excited state persists. In this time, by resonance, the excited antenna pigment molecule transfers its energy to a central molecule. The energy is lost as fluorescence if this does not occur. Therefore, the option A is incorrect.
Chlorophyll is specifically active in the photochemical reaction and is thus referred to as a primary photosynthetic pigment. Some photosynthetic pigments are considered accessory pigments, like chlorophyll b, c, d , and e; carotenoids and phycobilins, though they do not engage directly in the photochemical process. They absorb particular wavelengths of light and eventually transfer energy by electron spin resonance to chlorophyll.
Together, the chlorophylls, carotenoids and phycobilins form a thylakoid membrane pigment complex. Such complexes work to capture light radiation and move it to a reaction core. Therefore, the option C is incorrect.
Accessory pigments do not have a role in transduction. Therefore, the option D is incorrect.


Thus, the correct answer is option (B) Resonance.

Note:To absorb the light, certain pigments identified as accessory pigments. The light molecules are effectively harvested towards a reaction centre, often referred to as Light Harvesting Complexes (LHC). As a reaction centre, chlorophyll-a works and completes further photosynthesis reactions.