A type of chlorophyll or chlorophyll-like pigment found in organisms other than plants, such as photosynthetic bacteria.
From allo- (other, different) + chlorophyll (from Greek chloros, green + phyllon, leaf). The term marks pigments that perform similar functions but exist outside typical plant contexts.
While we think of photosynthesis as a plant superpower, bacteria have their own versions of light-harvesting pigments that work differently—nature invented this trick more than once!
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