Chlorophyll is a class of magnesium-coordinated porphyrin pigments that function as primary photoreceptors in oxygenic photosynthesis. Its conjugated tetrapyrrole ring system enables efficient absorption of visible light, predominantly in the blue and red regions, while reflecting green wavelengths. In thylakoid membranes, chlorophylls (mainly chlorophyll a and b in plants) are noncovalently associated with specific apoproteins to form light-harvesting complexes and reaction centers, where they participate in exciton transfer and primary charge separation. Their redox-active macrocycle and central Mg²⁺ ion are critical for converting photon energy into chemical potential within photosystems I and II.
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