chlorophyll /klôr″əfil/ [Gk, chloros + phyllon, leaf] , one of several pigments that absorb light energy and participate in the production of carbohydrates in photosynthetic organisms. Chlorophylls a and b are found in plants, chlorophyll c occurs in brown algae, and chlorophyll d occurs in red algae. Chlorophyll molecules contain a porphyrin ring system that binds a central magnesium ion. See also photosynthesis.
