Chlorophyll vs. Chloroplast

Main Difference

The main difference between Chlorophyll and Chloroplast is that chlorophyll is a green pigment, existing in all green plant life and in cyanobacteria, which is liable for the absorption of light to deliver energy for photosynthesis whereas chloroplast is a plastid in green plant cells which comprises chlorophyll and in which photosynthesis takes place.

Difference Between Chlorophyll and Chloroplast

Comparison Chart

Chlorophyll vs. Chloroplast

Chlorophyll is the pigment, include in photosynthesis whereas chloroplast is the organelle include in photosynthesis. Chlorophyll is a light-absorbing plant molecule, while chloroplasts are plant organelles. Chlorophyll alternate light energy to chemical energy to help the photosynthesis whereas chloroplasts deliver space and enzymes to transmit both light reaction and the dark reaction of the photosynthesis. Chlorophylls are only green color pigments, and they don’t contain DNA whereas chloroplasts comprise of their DNA known as cpDNA. Chlorophylls are of several types, and most important of them are chlorophyll-A and chlorophyll-B whereas chloroplasts contain no such types, but both plants and algae contain different kinds of chloroplasts. Chlorophylls are existing in both prokaryotes and eukaryotes whereas chloroplasts are only living in eukaryotic plants and algae. Chlorophylls are present in the grana thylakoids of chloroplasts whereas Chloroplasts are present in the leaves of the plants and algae. Chlorophyll helps in tracking solar energy to split water molecule whereas chloroplasts help in the production of carbohydrates. Chlorophyll contains carotenoids, which are red and yellow pigments but chloroplasts do not produce pigments at all.

What is Chlorophyll?

Chlorophyll is an active plant molecule, which plays a significant role in mixing and placing the plant’s food in the process known as photosynthesis. It contains a similar structure to that of heme group of hemoglobin and cytochromes and derives from protoporphyrin which comprises polycyclic, plana tetrapyrrole ring. Photosynthetic organisms include various types of chlorophyll such as Chl a, Chl b, Chl c, Chl d. These molecules vary in their substituents group on the tetrapyrrole ring. Chlorophylls provide a green color to chloroplasts. Chlorophylls are originating in all plants, algae, and cyanobacteria. Chlorophyll mostly absorbs in blue and red portions of the electromagnetic spectrum. Therefore it reflects green color. Chlorophylls are pigments; thereby, they lack DNA. In producer (autotrophs) green color traps light energy from the sun, which associates with carbon dioxide and water into sugars. This procedure is for the preparation of food in photosynthesis and helps in gaining energy for body growth.

What is Chloroplast?

The chloroplast is organelles or membrane existing in the plant cell and the site of photosynthesis. The chloroplast is assuring by a double membrane, the outer membrane, and the inner membrane. The outer membrane is the beginning of eukaryotic cells and is permeable to small molecules and ions. The inner membrane surrounds the internal compartment. The fluid inside the double-membrane is known stroma. The section comprises floating, flattening, tiny membranes surrounding vesicles or sacs are known thylakoids. These are organizing in a group known as granum Chloroplast. Numerous grana are existing in each chloroplast and are interconnecting by stromal lamellae. The thylakoid membranes are the place of light reaction and ATP synthesis. The lipids existing in the thylakoid membrane comprises 80% uncharge mono- and di galactosyl diacylglycerol and about 10% is phospholipids. The aqueous phase of the inner membrane contains the stroma which comprises most of the enzymes requiring carbon assimilation. Therefore thylakoid membrane present in the chloroplast is the position for ATP synthesis and light reactions. ATP is using by stroma to accumulate trap energy in the form of carbon-carbon bonds of carbohydrates. The chloroplast is originating in bacteria, it divides by the process of binary fission, as occur in bacteria. The chloroplast is considering as the semi-autonomous structure and contains 70S ribosomes (prokaryotic-type).

Conclusion

Chlorophyll and chloroplast are two desires of photosynthesis in plants and algae. Chlorophylls are present in all photosynthetic organisms, both prokaryotes, and eukaryotes. But, chloroplasts are membrane-bound organelles, they are only present in eukaryotes, plants, and algae.