Phycocyanin
Phycocyanin
Phycocyanin (/ˌfaɪkoʊˈsaɪənɪn/) is a pigment-protein complex from the light-harvesting phycobiliprotein family, along with allophycocyanin and phycoerythrin. It is an accessory pigment to chlorophyll. All phycobiliproteins are water-soluble, so they cannot exist within the membrane like carotenoids can. Instead, phycocyanins and other phycobiliproteins aggregate to form clusters that adhere to the membrane called phycobilisomes.
Etymology
The term "Phycocyanin" comes from the Greek words 'phyco' meaning seaweed and 'cyanin' is derived from 'cyan', the English word for blue-green.
Function
Phycocyanin is found in Cyanobacteria (also called blue-green algae) and certain algae. It absorbs orange and red light, particularly near 620 nm (depending on which specific type it is), and emits fluorescence at about 650 nm (also depending on which type it is). Allophycocyanin absorbs and emits at longer wavelengths than Phycocyanin C or Phycocyanin R. Phycocyanins are found in the chloroplasts of algae and in the cytoplasm of cyanobacteria.
Related Terms
- Phycobiliproteins
- Phycobilisomes
- Cyanobacteria
- Algae
- Chlorophyll
- Allophycocyanin
- Phycoerythrin
- Carotenoids
External links
- Medical encyclopedia article on Phycocyanin
- Wikipedia's article - Phycocyanin
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