Question

What are phycobilin pigments?

Answer 1

Phycobilins:

1. Red algae and blue-green algae contain phycobilins, which are water-soluble pigments (cyanobacteria).
2. It's found in the chloroplast's stroma. Phycobilins can be divided into two categories.
3. Phycoerythrin–these pigments are red in colour and are found in red algae.
4. A supporting pigment to the primary chlorophyll pigments essential for photosynthesis is phycoerythrin.
5. The phycobiliproteins- phycocyanin and allophycocyanin are typically used to transfer the light energy from phycoerythrin to the reaction centre chlorophyll pair.
6. Phycocyanin–these pigments, which are blue and green in colour, are found in Cyanobacteria and blue-green algae.
7. A pigment-protein complex called phycocyanin collaborates physiologically with chlorophyll during photosynthesis. Particularly, under low light conditions, phycocyanin improves the efficiency of chlorophyll's oxygen synthesis.