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Chlorophylls are the most important dyes as they play a role in photosynthesis. As of today, seven types of chlorophylls have been detected with chlorophyll a and chlorophyll b being the most important ones since they contribute to photosynthesis.
These green pigments can be found in tissue of green plants. More precisely, they are located in chloroplast (an organelle in plant cell). The two types of chlorophylls have a slightly different colour and chemical structure. The difference between the two types is in the functional group adjacent to the second pyrrole of the compound. A characteristic to both is magnesium ion (Mg 2+) located in the centre of the heme structure.
What different functional groups can you find in the structure of chlorophyll a and b?
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