Chlorophyll: How Plants Harvest Light

Chlorophyll anchors a magnesium ion inside a porphyrin ring tuned to absorb red and blue light, reflecting the green we see. Photosystems use that energy to strip electrons from water, releasing oxygen as a byproduct. The pigment was first crystallized in 1818 by Pelletier and Caventou. Every breath owes itself to this green molecule..

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