Impacts Of Chlorophyll

Chlorophyll is a green pigment found in algae and plants responsible for absorbing light and energy from the red and blue portions of the electromagnetic spectrum. Chlorophyll A and chlorophyll B are the vital photosynthetic components in plants; however, chlorophyll A is the primary component (Kume et al., 2018). Furthermore, chlorophyll A and B absorb energy from wavelengths of orange-red light and blue-violet, but chlorophyll B absorbs a more excellent range of light (Smith et al., 2017). The relationship between chlorophyll A and B is interdependent. Chlorophyll A can only access a shorter range of light without the help of chlorophyll B, while chlorophyll B cannot effectively produce sufficient energy to work on its own. Chlorophyll is essential because without it being there, the process of photosynthesis would be very slow due to the reduction of the range of light required to be absorbed.   

 Plants, like any other organism, require food in order to continue surviving. Plants require solar energy absorbed by chlorophyll to make their food (Patterson, 2021). The food manufactured by plants is essential for the whole ecosystem since, through various food chains, all animals get their energy. Plants and algae make their food through a process known as photosynthesis; it involves sun energy being converted to chemical energy. Photosynthesis involves light being absorbed by a specific element found in the chloroplast of plants. A plant with one chlorophyll will not be effective in photosynthesis because the plant will not be able to absorb enough sunlight that is required in the process (Smith et al., 2017). The plant might also not survive because photosynthesis provides energy to plants, and in the case of one chlorophyll, plants will not produce the required glucose, responsible for the plant to continue surviving.  Another interesting fact is that plants are green because both Chlorophyll A and chlorophyll B do not absorb green light but instead reflect it to our eyes.

References

Kume, A., Akitsu, T., & Nasahara, K. (2018). Why is chlorophyll b only used in light-harvesting systems?. Journal Of Plant Research, 131(6), 961-972. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10265-018-1052-7

Patterson, S. (2021). Photosynthesis In Plants: The Role Of Chlorophyll In Photosynthesis. Gardening Know How. Retrieved 1 November 2021, from https://www.gardeningknowhow.com/special/children/photosynthesis-for-kids.htm.

Smith, H., McAusland, L., & Murchie, E. (2017). Don’t ignore the green light: exploring diverse roles in plant processes. Journal Of Experimental Botany, 68(9), 2099-2110. https://doi.org/10.1093/jxb/erx098