Separation of Photosynthetic Pigments by Paer Chromatography
Department of Biological Sciences
College of Arts and Sciences
Visayas State Unversity
Visca, Babay City, Leyte
Name: Millama, Engene O. Course & Year: BS Biotech-2 Lab Schedule: W (1-4) Group 5
Date Performed: Dec. 12, 2012 Date Submitted: Jan. 9, 2013
Separation of Photosynthetic Pigment by Paper Chromatography
I. INTRODUCTION
There are different types of components in plant pigments. The most important and abundant chemical pigment found in plants is chlorophyll. This pigment exists in two forms; chlorophyll a and chlorophyll b. Chlorophyll a, being the main photosynthetic pigment, has a primary purpose to convert light energy to chemical energy used by the plant itself. Chlorophyll b absorbs light in a region of the spectrum apart from the dominant chlorophyll, and transfers the energy it produces to chlorophyll a. Along with chlorophyll b in transferring their energy produced to the dominant chlorophyll, two other pigments that are found in plants are carotenes and xanthophylls, which are orange and yellow respectively. Since chlorophyll is such a dominant pigment in green plants, this domination hides the color of the carotenes and xanthophylls in the leaves. This causes most plant leaves to appear green most of the time.
During the autumn, however, the chlorophyll starts to break down, causing the carotenes and xanthophylls to show their bright red, orange and yellow colors. These brilliant colors can be separated another way. This different technique, known as paper chromatography, separates mixtures in a liquid into individual components. The process of chromatography separates molecules because of the different solubilities of the molecules in a selected solvent. In paper chromatography, paper is marked with an unknown, such as plant extract, is placed in a developing chamber with a specified solvent. The solvent carries the dissolved pigments as it moves up the paper. The pigments are carried at different rates
College of Arts and Sciences
Visayas State Unversity
Visca, Babay City, Leyte
Name: Millama, Engene O. Course & Year: BS Biotech-2 Lab Schedule: W (1-4) Group 5
Date Performed: Dec. 12, 2012 Date Submitted: Jan. 9, 2013
Separation of Photosynthetic Pigment by Paper Chromatography
I. INTRODUCTION
There are different types of components in plant pigments. The most important and abundant chemical pigment found in plants is chlorophyll. This pigment exists in two forms; chlorophyll a and chlorophyll b. Chlorophyll a, being the main photosynthetic pigment, has a primary purpose to convert light energy to chemical energy used by the plant itself. Chlorophyll b absorbs light in a region of the spectrum apart from the dominant chlorophyll, and transfers the energy it produces to chlorophyll a. Along with chlorophyll b in transferring their energy produced to the dominant chlorophyll, two other pigments that are found in plants are carotenes and xanthophylls, which are orange and yellow respectively. Since chlorophyll is such a dominant pigment in green plants, this domination hides the color of the carotenes and xanthophylls in the leaves. This causes most plant leaves to appear green most of the time.
During the autumn, however, the chlorophyll starts to break down, causing the carotenes and xanthophylls to show their bright red, orange and yellow colors. These brilliant colors can be separated another way. This different technique, known as paper chromatography, separates mixtures in a liquid into individual components. The process of chromatography separates molecules because of the different solubilities of the molecules in a selected solvent. In paper chromatography, paper is marked with an unknown, such as plant extract, is placed in a developing chamber with a specified solvent. The solvent carries the dissolved pigments as it moves up the paper. The pigments are carried at different rates
References: * (Introduction to botany) Murray W. Nabors * (Introductory botany: plants, people and the environment) Linda R. Berg * http://biologyjunction.com/chromatography_of_simulated_plan.htm