Compare And Contrast Plant Pigment By Shirley Raps And Jeffrey Harborne

In “Plant Pigment,” by Shirley Raps and Jeffrey Harborne, two types of plant pigments are discussed: photosynthetic and nonphotosynthetic pigments. Photosynthetic pigments are responsible for absorbing light and transferring energy during photosynthesis. Among this group of pigments are chlorophylls, phycobilins, carotenoids, and reaction center pigments which causes plants’ green, blue, yellow and orange colors, respectively. Nonphotosynthetic pigments are used to attract insects for pollination and animals for seed dispersal. This group is comprised of about one hundred different types of anthocyanins which can make a plant scarlet, crimson, purple, mauve, and blue depending on the type present (Raps and Harborne). Raps and Harborne further detail how photosynthetic pigments function in plants. “The conversion of light energy to chemical is initiated when light-harvesting pigments absorb light of appropriate wavelengths and a Π electron in the conjugated double-bond system of each molecule is raised from ground state to an excited, higher energy state.” That basically means that the pigments absorb sunlight which creates energy for the plant. This energy is in the form of adenosine triphosphate (ATP). The ranging presence of …show more content…
The primary pigment present in the reaction center is chlorophyll. About three hundred special chlorophylls fill these extremely small centers and carryout specific energy transduction. Reaction centers are isolated away from thylakoid membranes and are surrounded by light-harvesting complexes that ensure efficient energy transfer. Its special environment causes the electrons to require less energy to become excited. P700 and P680 are two of the special chlorophylls in reaction centers that require the lowest amount of energy to donate those excited electrons. These two chlorophylls also have the longest wavelengths of maximum light absorption (Raps and