Page 155 - Photosynthesis: The Green Miracle

Harun Yahya

Light

Carotenoid

Teophyte
Chlorophyll a and b

Activated electron
Chlorophyll a Protein expelled

Reaction P680 or P700
center
Light-collection complex Light energy transmitted to
reaction centerLight energy
transmitted to reaction center

Model of the light-collection complex in chloroplasts.
a) Every light-collection complex contains large numbers of
Chlorophyll a, Chlorophyll b and carotenoid molecules. Receptor
molecule
b) The light absorbed by the molecular complex is
transmitted to the energy reaction center, where it is
absorbed by Chlorophyll a.
e -

is, “chlorophyll a”) by establishing a network Reaction centre
around it. When the reaction center receives ener-
gy from one of the more than 250 antennae mole-
Antenna
cules the energy boosts an electron out of place to
a higher energy level. In other words, an elec- Pigment
molecule
tron belonging to the “chlorophyll a” moves to
one of the other chlorophyll molecules ar-
ranged around it. Thus thanks to a chain reac-
tion an electron exchange, photosynthesis be-
73
gins. Therefore, the organs we call pigments
Light energy
play a vital role in the process of photosynthesis,
while these molecules with their very special The receptor in the photosyn-
thesis process consists of
structure give rise to the green world of plants hundreds of chlorophyll
around us. and carotenoid molecules
and the molecule of
chlorophyll a, which
is the reaction cen-
tre.
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