photosynthesis reactions Flashcards
what do all plants contain several different versions of
photosynthetic pigments in their leaves, each pigment absorbs a different wavelength of light, so having more that one type of pigment increases the range of wavelengths of light that a plant can absorb
in addition to photosynthetic pigments what else do some plants have
other pigments in their leaves which play other essential roles, e.g. protecting the leaves from excessive UV radiation
different species of plant contain different proportions and mixtures of pigments
what can you use thin layer chromatography to determine
what pigments are present in the leaves of a plant
what does TLC contain
a mobile phase
a stationary phade
what is the mobile phase of TLC
where molecules can move, in TLC this is a liquid solvent
what is stationary phase in TLC
where molecules cant move. in TLC this consists of a solid plate with a thin layer of gel on top.
a sample of pigments can be extracted from the plant and put on the TLC plate what happens when the plate is placed vertically in the solvent
the solvent moves upwards through the gel, carrying the dissolved pigments with it.
some pigments will travel faster or further through the gel than others which seperates them out
how do you identify a certain pigment
by calculating its Rf value and looking it up in a database. the Rf is the distance the substance has moved through the gel in relation to the solvent each pigment has a specific Rf value.
