Light Harvesting Complexes

The first part of the process of recovering energy from photons of light occurs in light-harvesting complexes of the chloroplast. Each multisubunit protein complex contains multiple antenna pigment molecules, chlorophylls and some accessory pigments, and two chlorophyll molecules that act as the reaction center (Figure 17.11). The reaction center traps energy quanta excited by the absorption of light.

See also: Reaction Center, Chloroplasts, Chloroplast Anatomy, Chlorophyll, Figure 17.6