Bacteriochlorophyll

/ˌbæktɪrioʊˈklɔːrəfɪl/ noun

Definition

A special green pigment in photosynthetic bacteria that allows them to capture light energy and produce their own food.

Etymology

From bacteria + chlorophyll (from Greek 'chloros' meaning green + 'phyllon' meaning leaf). Discovered in the early 1900s as scientists studied purple and green bacteria.

Kelly Says

Bacteriochlorophyll is slightly different from plant chlorophyll and absorbs different wavelengths of light, which is why some photosynthetic bacteria appear purple or brown instead of green!

Related Words

Explore More Words

Get the Word Orb API

Complete word intelligence in one call. Free tier — 50 lookups/day.