Chlorophyll

noun (uncountable/countable)

/ˈklɒrəfɪl/

Chlorophyll is a group of green photosynthetic pigments found in the chloroplasts of plants and algae that absorb light energy — primarily in the red (wavelength ~680 nm) and blue (~450 nm) regions of the visible spectrum — to drive the light-dependent reactions of photosynthesis. Chlorophyll-a is the primary pigment; chlorophyll-b, carotenes, and xanthophylls are accessory pigments. Satellite remote sensing of ocean chlorophyll concentration is used to monitor phytoplankton blooms in Indian coastal waters, which can indicate eutrophication — an issue flagged in India's Coastal Regulation Zone (CRZ) management frameworks.

✍️ Usage in a UPSC answer

Satellite monitoring of chlorophyll-a concentrations in the Arabian Sea and Bay of Bengal enables India's National Centre for Coastal Research to track algal bloom events that threaten fishery productivity along the 7,500-km coastline.

Synonyms

photosynthetic pigmentleaf pigmentphytopigmentphytol-containing pigment

Antonyms

carotenoid (contrasting pigment class)xanthophyllanthocyanin

🌱 Word Family

chlorophyllous (adjective), chlorophyllose (adjective), chloroplast (noun), chlorosis (noun — deficiency condition)

🔡 Root

Greek khlōros = green, pale green + phyllon = leaf

📜 Etymology

The word was coined in 1818 by French chemists Joseph Bienaimé Caventou and Pierre Joseph Pelletier, who isolated the pigment from leaves and named it from Greek khlōros (pale green, yellow-green) and phyllon (leaf). Greek khlōros also gives 'chlorine' (named for its yellowish-green colour) and 'chloride'. The English form follows the French chlorophylle directly.

🧠 Memory Hook

Chlorophyll = khlōros (green) + phyllon (leaf) — quite literally 'green of the leaf'. Remember: chlor- appears in 'chlorine' (which is greenish), so anything chloro- is green, and phyllon means leaf, giving you the green pigment that makes leaves green.

⚗️ General Science 📖 Seen in: Human Body Systems — Organ Systems, Ph...

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