Chlorophyll ''c'' is a form of
chlorophyll found in certain marine algae, including the photosynthetic
Chromista
Chromista is a biological kingdom consisting of single-celled and multicellular eukaryotic species that share similar features in their photosynthetic organelles ( plastids). It includes all protists whose plastids contain chlorophyll ''c'', ...
(e.g.
diatoms
A diatom (New Latin, Neo-Latin ''diatoma''), "a cutting through, a severance", from el, διάτομος, diátomos, "cut in half, divided equally" from el, διατέμνω, diatémno, "to cut in twain". is any member of a large group com ...
and
brown algae
Brown algae (singular: alga), comprising the class Phaeophyceae, are a large group of multicellular algae, including many seaweeds located in colder waters within the Northern Hemisphere. Brown algae are the major seaweeds of the temperate and p ...
) and
dinoflagellates
The dinoflagellates (Greek δῖνος ''dinos'' "whirling" and Latin ''flagellum'' "whip, scourge") are a monophyletic group of single-celled eukaryotes constituting the phylum Dinoflagellata and are usually considered algae. Dinoflagellates a ...
.
It has a blue-green color and is an
accessory pigment Accessory pigments are light-absorbing compounds, found in photosynthetic organisms, that work in conjunction with chlorophyll ''a''. They include other forms of this pigment, such as chlorophyll ''b'' in green algal and higher plant antennae, w ...
, particularly significant in its absorption of light in the 447–52 nm wavelength region.
Like
chlorophyll ''a'' and
chlorophyll ''b'', it helps the organism gather light and passes a quanta of excitation energy through the light harvesting antennae to the
photosynthetic reaction centre
A photosynthetic reaction center is a complex of several proteins, pigments and other co-factors that together execute the primary energy conversion reactions of photosynthesis. Molecular excitations, either originating directly from sunlight or t ...
. Chlorophyll ''c'' is unusual because it has a porphyrin ring structure and does not have an isoprenoid tail or a reduced ring D, features typical of the other chlorophylls commonly found in algae and plants.
Chlorophyll ''c'' can be further divided into chlorophyll ''c
1'', chlorophyll ''c
2'',
and chlorophyll ''c
3'',
plus at least eight other more recently found subtypes.
Chlorophyll ''c1''
Chlorophyll ''c
1'' is a common form of chlorophyll ''c''. It differs from chlorophyll ''c
2'' in its C8 group, having an ethyl group instead of vinyl group (C-C single bond instead of C=C double bond).
Its
absorption maxima are around 444, 577, 626 nm and 447, 579, 629 nm in
diethyl ether
Diethyl ether, or simply ether, is an organic compound in the ether class with the formula , sometimes abbreviated as (see Pseudoelement symbols). It is a colourless, highly volatile, sweet-smelling ("ethereal odour"), extremely flammable li ...
and
acetone
Acetone (2-propanone or dimethyl ketone), is an organic compound with the formula . It is the simplest and smallest ketone (). It is a colorless, highly volatile and flammable liquid with a characteristic pungent odour.
Acetone is miscib ...
respectively.
Chlorophyll ''c2''
Chlorophyll ''c
2'' is the most common form of chlorophyll ''c''.
Its absorption maxima are around 447, 580, 627 nm and 450, 581, 629 nm in diethyl ether and acetone respectively.
Chlorophyll ''c3''
Chlorophyll ''c
3'' is a form of chlorophyll ''c'' found in microalga ''
Emiliania huxleyi
''Emiliania huxleyi'' is a species of coccolithophore found in almost all ocean ecosystems from the equator to sub-polar regions, and from nutrient rich upwelling zones to nutrient poor oligotrophic waters. It is one of thousands of different ...
'', identified in 1989.
Its absorption maxima are around 452, 585, 625 nm and 452, 585, 627 nm in diethyl ether and acetone respectively.
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References
{{Plant pigments
Porphyrins
Photosynthetic pigments
Brown algae
Diatom biology