What are the major pigments found in the members belonging to class Phaeophyceae?
Open in App
Solution
Phaeophyceae
Brown algae, which belong to the Phaeophyceae class, are a broad group of multicellular algae that includes many seaweeds found in the Northern Hemisphere's colder waters.
Chlorophyll-a is a kind of chlorophyll that is used in the oxygenic photosynthesis process.
Violet-blue and orange-red light wavelengths absorb the most energy, but green and near-green light absorb poorly.
Chlorophyll-c is a kind of chlorophyll found in photosynthetic Chromista and dinoflagellates, among other marine algae.
Chlorophylls a and c, as well as fucoxanthin, flavoxanthin, violaxanthin, and lutein, are the main pigments present in brown algae (class - Phaeophyceae).
Fucoxanthin, a brown pigment from this group, conceals the conventional green color of chlorophyll.
Brown algae and most other heterokonts have it as an accessory pigment in their chloroplasts, giving them a brown or olive-green appearance.