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Energy for Biological Processes

Photosynthetic pigments and chromatography

  • 3 things to know
  • Papers 1 and 3

Overview

Recall questions on why plants have several photosynthetic pigments, extracting and separating them by chromatography, and calculating and using Rf values to identify them.

What you need to know

Answer each one before you reveal it.

Your recallNot started
Key term

How can Rꜰ values be used to identify unknown pigments?

Numbers

State the formula for calculating Rꜰ value.

Key term

Why do plants possess multiple photosynthetic pigments rather than just one?

Questions from this subtopic

Each one with the model answer underneath.

  1. 1

    Why do plants possess multiple photosynthetic pigments rather than just one?

    Model answer

    To absorb a wider range of wavelengths of light than a single pigment could absorb alone.

  2. 2

    How does having a variety of photosynthetic pigments benefit a plant?

    Model answer

    It increases the overall efficiency of light absorption for photosynthesis.

  3. 3

    Why do different photosynthetic pigments allow plants to capture more light energy?

    Model answer

    Different pigments have different absorption spectra, allowing the plant to capture light energy across more of the visible spectrum.

  4. 4

    How can the different pigments in a chloroplast be separated and identified?

    Model answer

    By chromatography: an extract of chloroplast pigments is spotted onto the medium, a solvent carries the pigments different distances according to their solubility, and each is identified from its colour and its Rf value.

  5. 5

    On what basis do chloroplast pigments separate during chromatography?

    Model answer

    Based on their relative solubility in the solvent and their adsorption to the stationary phase.

  6. 6

    Why do different pigments travel different distances during chromatography?

    Model answer

    Because they have different solubilities in the mobile phase and different degrees of adsorption to the stationary phase.

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