Chlorophyll

plants · photosynthesis · green · energy

The green magic. Chlorophyll is a special green pigment found in plants, algae, and some bacteria. It gives leaves their bright green color and is one of nature's most important ingredients.

Sunlight to food. Chlorophyll's superpower is catching light energy from the sun. Plants use this energy to turn water and carbon dioxide into sugar, which becomes food that powers the plant to grow.

Makes oxygen too. When chlorophyll does its job and turns light into food, it also releases oxygen as a bonus. This oxygen is what we breathe, so chlorophyll indirectly keeps all animals alive.

Greek word origins. The word chlorophyll comes from two Greek words meaning green and leaf. Scientists named it this way because they saw it was the substance that made leaves so beautifully green.

Found everywhere. Chlorophyll isn't just in regular plants, it's also in algae living in oceans and lakes, and even in some bacteria. Wherever there's life using sunlight for energy, chlorophyll is probably there.