Phycocyanin is a blue pigment-protein complex from the light-harvesting phycobiliprotein family, found in cyanobacteria. It plays a crucial role in capturing light energy for photosynthesis.
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Phycocyanin absorbs orange and red light, particularly around 620 nm wavelength.
It is commonly found in cyanobacteria, also known as blue-green algae.
Phycocyanin is water-soluble and can be used as a natural dye in food and cosmetics.
This pigment contributes to the characteristic blue-green color of cyanobacteria.
Phycocyanin forms complexes with other phycobiliproteins to create phycobilisomes, which are essential for efficient energy transfer during photosynthesis.