Question

Name the central element present in chlorophyll.

Answer 1

Hint: Chlorophyll is the most important class of pigments involved in photosynthesis, the process by which light energy is converted to chemical energy through the synthesis of organic compounds. The chlorophyll is very much similar to the structure of hemoglobin.

Complete step by step answer:
Magnesium is the central element present in the chlorophyll. The central magnesium atom in the chlorophyll is surrounded by a nitrogen- containing structure called a porphyrin ring. A long carbon- hydrogen side chain is attached to this ring, known as a phytol chain. The variations are due to minor modifications of certain side groups. The chlorophyll occurs in membranous disk- like units called the thylakoids, in organelles called chloroplasts.

Additional information:
- The rate of photosynthesis is affected by the color of light that is absorbed the best by the chlorophyll pigment. Chlorophyll absorbs blue and red light energies with the greatest efficiency.
- The leaves of a plant are green because the chlorophyll within them absorb all other wavelengths of light and reflect only the green light.
- The portion of the spectrum between 400 nm and 700 nm is called photosynthetically active radiation. This can be represented with the help of two spectrums called absorption and action spectrum. The Absorption spectrum is the graphical representation of the quantity of light of different wavelengths absorbed by the pigment. The action spectrum represents the rate of photosynthesis at a different wavelength of light.

Note: There are several distinct forms of chlorophyll. Chlorophylls a and b are the major types of chlorophyll found in higher plants and green algae; chlorophylls c and d are found in different algae; chlorophyll e is a rare type and found in some golden algae.