Inorganic ChemistryOrganometallic Chemistry |
How are transition metals important in photosynthesis? |
Chlorophyll, the green pigment that plays a crucial role in photosynthesis, contains an atom of magnesium at the center of its porphyrin ring (a porphyrin ring is an organic ring molecule found in many biochemical systems). The Mg atom plays a crucial role in the absorption of light from the Sun, the energy from which is then channeled through the molecule and is eventually put to work by the plant’s cells.