Absorption of Light by Chlorophyll

Higher Biology

Light absorption by chlorophyll

Measuring light absorption

• A spectrometer is used to measure the amount of absorption at each wavelength

• An action spectrum shows the rate of photosynthesis at different light intensities

•Chlorophyll A and B absorb light mostly in the red and blue regions of the spectrum

•Carotene and xanthophyll absorb light from other regions and pass the energy to chlorophyll

Brown seaweeds

• subjected to low light intensities• Chlorophyll C instead of chlorophyll

B• fucoxanthin

-very wide absorption spectrum-absorbs light in parts of the spectrum where chlorophyll is less efficient

Red seaweeds

• Have chlorophyll D• Phycoerythrin

Green seaweeds

• Found in shallow water

• Do not have fucoxanthin

• Does not have phycoerythrin

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