What is the primary role of chlorophyll in photosynthesis?

The primary role of chlorophyll in photosynthesis is to absorb light energy, which is essential for the process. Chlorophyll is a pigment found in the chloroplasts of plant cells, and it primarily absorbs light in the blue and red wavelengths, while reflecting green light, which is why plants appear green. This absorbed light energy is then converted into chemical energy during the light-dependent reactions of photosynthesis.

In these reactions, the energy captured by chlorophyll is used to split water molecules, releasing oxygen as a byproduct and generating ATP and NADPH, which are energy carriers for the subsequent stages of photosynthesis. Therefore, without chlorophyll and its ability to capture light energy, the entire process of photosynthesis, which fuels plant growth and produces organic compounds and oxygen, could not occur effectively.