What is "chlorophyll c"

Chlorophyll \Chlo"ro*phyll\, n. [Gr. chlwro`s light green + fy`llon leaf: cf. F. chlorophylle.]

1. (Bot.) Literally, leaf green; a green granular matter formed in the cells of the leaves (and other parts exposed to light) of plants, to which they owe their green color, and through which all ordinary assimilation of plant food takes place. Similar chlorophyll granules have been found in the tissues of the lower animals. [Written also chlorophyl.]

2. any of a group of green pigments found in photosynthetic organisms. Chlorophyll a and chlorophyll b are found in higher plants and green algae; chlorophyll c is found in certain types of marine algae. Chemically, it has a porphyrin ring with a magnesium ion bound to the four central nitrogens, and has a phytyl side chain. It is essential for photosynthesis in most plants. Chlorophyll a has formula C55H72N4O5Mg.

   Syn: chlorophyll.

Chlorophyll c is a form of chlorophyll found in certain marine algae, including the photosynthetic Chromista (e.g. diatoms, brown algae) and dinoflagellates.

It has a blue-greenish color and is an accessory pigment, particularly significant in its absorption of light in the 447-452 nm region, Like chlorophyll a and chlorophyll b, it helps the organism gather light and passes a quanta of excitation energy through the light harvesting antennae to the photosynthetic reaction centre. Chlorophyll c is unusual because it has a porphyrin ring structure and does not have an isoprenoid tail or a reduced ring D, features typical of the other chlorophylls commonly found in algae and plants.

Chlorophyll c can be further divided into chlorophyll c, chlorophyll c and chlorophyll c, plus at least 8 other newly found subtypes.