Biological pigment

A naturally occurring substance in a living organism that absorbs or reflects particular wavelengths of light, producing color or enabling light-dependent processes.

Chromophore: The light-absorbing part of a molecule, often responsible for its color. Its electronic structure determines which wavelengths a pigment absorbs.
Photosynthesis: The process by which organisms convert light energy into chemical energy, usually using carbon dioxide and water. Chlorophyll and accessory pigments capture light for photosynthetic reactions.
Chlorophyll: A family of green pigments that absorbs light and participates in photosynthesis. Its absorption supports photosynthesis and gives many plants their green appearance.
Chromatophore: A pigment-containing or light-reflecting cell that contributes to coloration in many animals. These cells package or move pigments to alter visible color.
Absorption spectrum: A graph showing how strongly a substance absorbs light at different wavelengths. It reveals the wavelengths a pigment removes from incident light.
Photoprotection: Mechanisms that limit damage caused by excessive or harmful light exposure. Some pigments safely dissipate excess absorbed energy or screen damaging radiation.
Melanin: A family of dark biological pigments found in skin, hair, feathers, and other tissues. It colors tissues and helps protect them from ultraviolet radiation.
Organelle: A specialized structure within a cell that performs a particular function. Many biological pigments are concentrated in organelles such as chloroplasts and melanosomes.
Molecular orbital: A quantum-mechanical description of where electrons are likely to be found in a molecule. Electron transitions between orbitals underlie pigment light absorption.
Non-photochemical quenching: A set of processes that dissipate excess excitation energy from photosynthetic antennae as heat. Xanthophyll pigments help protect photosystems through this energy-dissipation process.

Linked from 1 page

Cave BiologyRelated: Reduced pigmentation in some cave animals reflects life in persistent darkness.