Monday 8 April 2013

New Insight Into Photosynthesis: Carotenoids Can Capture Blue/Green Light and Pass Energy On to Chlorophylls

TORONTO, ON – Pigments found in plants and purple bacteria employed to provide protection from sun damage do more than just that. 

Researchers from the University of Toronto and University of Glasgow have found that they also help to harvest light energy during photosynthesis.


Carotenoids, the same pigments which give orange color to carrots and red to tomatoes, are often found together in plants with chlorophyll pigments that harvest solar energy. 

Their main function is photoprotection when rays of light from the sun are the most intense. However, a new study published in Science this week shows how they capture blue/green light and pass the energy on to chlorophylls, which absorb red light.
 
A custom-built programmable 3D printer can create materials with several of the properties of living tissues, Oxford University scientists have demonstrated: Droplet network c.500 microns across with electrically conductive pathway between electrodes mimicking nerve. (Credit: Oxford University/G Villar)
Credit: http://www.eurekalert.org

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