Question

The major pigment responsible for photosynthesis in plants is:

• A. Chlorophyll A
• B. Chlorophyll B
• C. Carotenoids
• D. Phycobilins

Hint:

Remember the important pigments: \[ \boxed{\text{Primary pigment} \rightarrow \text{Chlorophyll a}} \] \[ \boxed{\text{Accessory pigments} \rightarrow \text{Chlorophyll b, Carotenoids, Xanthophylls}} \] Only chlorophyll a directly participates in the photochemical reactions of photosynthesis.

Answer 1

The Correct Option is A

Concept: Photosynthetic pigments absorb light energy and convert it into chemical energy during photosynthesis. Among all pigments present in higher plants, chlorophyll

a is the primary pigment directly involved in the conversion of light energy. Accessory pigments assist chlorophyll

a by absorbing light of different wavelengths.

Step 1: Identify the primary photosynthetic pigment.
The chief pigment responsible for photosynthesis is \[ \boxed{\text{Chlorophyll a}} \] It is present in the reaction centres of both Photosystem I and Photosystem II.

Step 2: Understand the role of accessory pigments.
Other pigments include:

• Chlorophyll b

• Carotenoids

• Xanthophylls
These pigments absorb additional wavelengths of light and transfer the absorbed energy to chlorophyll

a.

Step 3: Analyse the options.

• Chlorophyll a is the primary pigment.

• Chlorophyll b is an accessory pigment.

• Carotenoids are accessory pigments.

• Phycobilins occur mainly in cyanobacteria and red algae.
Therefore, \[ \boxed{\textbf{Option (A)}} \] is the correct answer.