Introduction Photosynthesis has many biological, natural, ecological, and evolutionary impacts. It synthesizes some of the many essential building blocks for life in that it allowed for life on Earth to flourish (3). Photosynthesis is a process that generates oxygen, adenosine triphosphate (ATP), and chemical energy, in forms of sugar, that fuel cellular processes like metabolism (4). Its production of oxygen allowed for oxygen-dependent organisms to prosper (1). Molecules called pigments help in these processes by translating light into useful energy. The first photosynthetic organelle came to be when a protist engulfed a cyanobacterium, which gave rise to three main types of pigments: chlorophylls (a and b), phycobilins, and carotenoids (2). Phycobilins and carotenoids are considered accessory pigments because they capture light energy at different wavelengths and then transfer it to chlorophyll a and b. Despite the pigments’ …show more content…
After each spotting the TLC strip was dried with an air hose until an intense spot was created (this is important for resolution). The strip will be inserted and removed, with a forceps, into the TLC tank (provided by UCLA LS Core Department) containing ethyl acetate and petroleum ether (1:1 ratio). The strip was placed in the tank until the pigment reached 0.5 cm from the top of the strip. The strips were then removed and the colors spotting were recorded and analyzed. The pigments and solvent relative distances were used to calculate Rf . The distance from the starting point (0.5 cm from the bottom of the strip) to the top (0.5 cm form the top of the strip) were measured to find the solvent distance. The distance from the starting point to the top of each pigment spotting were measured and the ratio of pigment to solvent produced the Rf value.