Chla
Chla, short for chlorophyll a, is the primary photosynthetic pigment in oxygenic organisms. It is found in plants, algae, and cyanobacteria and is essential for converting light energy into chemical energy during photosynthesis.
Chemically, Chla is a magnesium-porphyrin complex with a long hydrophobic phytol tail. This tail anchors the
Chla absorbs light mainly in the blue and red parts of the spectrum, with peak absorption around
In plants and algae, Chla is located in the thylakoid membranes within photosystems I and II, functioning
Chla concentrations are widely used as an index of phytoplankton biomass in aquatic ecosystems. Measuring Chla
Chla is produced by photosynthetic organisms through a conserved biosynthetic pathway that builds the porphyrin ring