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Bacteriopheophytin A

Pheophytin is a chlorophyll derivative involved in photosynthesis.

Chemical Formula: C₅₅H₇₆N₄O₆

Layman's explanation: Pheophytin is essentially a chlorophyll molecule with two hydrogen atoms replacing the magnesium center. It can be synthesized through the acidification of chlorophyll, where the magnesium is pulled from the porphyrin ring and H+ ions attach to the open binding sites. The structure of pheophytin is much more stable than that of the chlorophyll due to this hydrogen ion interaction. As a result, pheophytin is a problem in laboratory situations because the chlorophyll will spontaneously transform into pheophytin in any acidic environment. The function of pheophytin is to carry excited electrons from photosystem II and dump them off at the plastoquinone Qa during photosynthesis. The pheophytin/chlorophyll interactions provide a source for a wide range of research in the areas of botany, biology, and plant physiology. The chemical structure is C55H72N4O6.

Keywords: porphyrin, chlorophyll

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