Chlorophyll (Gr. Chloros - Green, Phylon - Leaf)

Chlorophyll is the pigment that gives plants their green color and plays a major role in converting light energy into chemical energy during photosynthesis.

Chlorophyll absorbs light in the blue-violet and red regions of the spectrum and reflects green light, which gives plants their green color. The chlorophyll molecule consists of a porphyrin ring to which various substituents are attached.

During photosynthesis, the energy of light absorbed by chlorophyll is used to decompose water molecules to release oxygen and produce reducing agents necessary to convert carbon dioxide into organic substances. Thus, thanks to chlorophyll, plants can use light energy to synthesize nutrients from inorganic compounds.