Question

Which photosynthetic pigment converts nascent oxygen to molecular oxygen?
A. Chlorophyll a
B. Carotenoids
C. Phycobilins
D. Chlorophyll b

Answer 1

Hint: Plants make their food in the leaves with the help of sunlight. They convert the sunlight (light energy) into chemical energy. This process is called photosynthesis. For the occurrence of this process, photosynthesis requires various pigments which will sum up the whole work.

Complete answer:
The main pigment of the photosynthesis process is the chlorophyll, which is responsible for the making of food. But with the chlorophyll, there are other thylakoid pigments which also play some important roles.

> Option A: Chlorophyll a: It directly participates in the photosynthesis process. It is a part of oxygenic photosynthesis. It absorbs energy from the red and blue light. It provides a green colour to the leaves by reflecting green-yellow light.

> Option B: Carotenoids: They are the polyunsaturated hydrocarbons. They have 8 isoprene units. This is called the accessory pigments which absorb light and transfer the energy to chlorophyll a. they convert the nascent oxygen into molecular oxygen.

> Option C: Phycobilins: They are the light-harvesting pigments in algae. They absorb the red, green and yellow colour wavelengths, which are not absorbed well by the chl-a. it will pass light to chlorophylls for food formation.

> Option D: Chlorophyll b: It is the accessory pigment which will transfer the light to the chlorophyll a. It is bonded to the porphyrin functional group.

Hence, the correct answer is option (B).

Note: Carotenoid pigment will give colour to in which they are present. They are antioxidants for humans. There are more than 500 types of carotenoids available. Carrots, peaches, guava, apricots are rich in carotenoids.