Chlorophyll a chlorophyll biosynthesis. Chlorophyll "a" absorbs light within the violet, blue and red wavelengths while mainly reflecting green. This reflectance gives chlorophyll its green appearance. Accessory photosynthetic pigments broaden the spectrum of light absorbed, increasing the range of wavelengths that can be used in photosynthesis. The addition of chlorophyll "b" next to chlorophyll "a" extends the absorption spectrum. In low light conditions, plants produce a greater ratio of chlorophyll "b" to chlorophyll "a" molecules, increasing photosynthetic yield. Absorption of light by photosynthetic pigments converts photons into chemical energy. Light energy radiating onto the chloroplast strikes the pigments in the thylakoid membrane
Chlorophyll a electron transport chain. These two systems are different in their redox potentials for one-electron oxidation. The E for P700 is approximately 500mV, while the E for P680 is approximately 1,100-1,200 mV. Chlorophyll "a" is very important in the energy phase of photosynthesis. Two electrons need to be passed to an electron acceptor for the process of photosynthesis to proceed. Within the reaction centers of both photosystems there are a pair of chlorophyll "a" molecules that pass electrons on to the transport chain through redox reactions. Chlorophyll a Chlorophyll "a" is a specific form of chlorophyll used in oxygenic photosynthesis. It