pheophytin

Pheophytin is a molecule that plays a role in the light-dependent reactions of photosynthesis. It is similar to chlorophyll but lacks a central magnesium atom. In the process, excited electrons from chlorophyll are passed to pheophytin, which then transfers them to other electron acceptors. This electron transfer is crucial for generating the energy-carrying molecules ATP and NADPH, which are used to synthesize sugars. Pheophytin is also involved in the photolysis of water, a process that releases oxygen as a byproduct. Pheoporphyrin is a crystalline isomer of pheophorbide, and phylloporphyrin is a porphyrin obtained from the degradation of chlorophyll or pheophytin.123