Phycobilisome

Phycobilisomes are large protein complexes that cyanobacteria, red algae, and Glaucophyceen cyanelles use in photosynthesis. Their absorbent antenna pigments chlorophyll and green as opposed to a yellow absorbing light, direct the energy to the reaction center of photosystem II in photosynthesis.

The phycobilisomes are located in the cytosol to the thylakoid membrane and direct the collected light energy to the reaction center of photosystem II They are, in contrast to other chlorophyll and carotenoid- antenna complexes soluble in water. Algae with phycobilisomes use the so-called green gap, ie Wavelengths in the green / yellow area, this allows them to colonize larger water depths.

The phycobilisomes are layered to several rolls of money -like stacking with a size of 32 * 48 nanometers to one another. The red phycoerythrin is on the outside and the blue phycocyanin in on the light blue allophycocyanin. They are attached to the cytosolic side of the thylakoid membrane.