most common pigment in photosynthesis 

absorbs red + blu/violet light 

absorb blue/violet + blue/green light 

reflect yellow, orange, red (fall colors)

packet of light energy- act as particles

most travel in blue/violet light 

• use harvestor pigments to capture light
• when electrons become excited, they transfer energy to other pigments
• each transfer invoves energy loss
• eventually reaches a reaction center

• energy is reduced to form that can be used by chlorophyll a 
• this molecule is the reaction center of the photosystem 
• R.C. accepts energy and donates electron