Definition
phycocyanins
noun
- Blue-colored protein pigments found in cyanobacteria and red algae that function in photosynthesis by absorbing light energy.
Usage: technical; biology; plural form of phycocyanin
Examples
- Phycocyanins are responsible for the blue color observed in many cyanobacterial blooms.
- Scientists study phycocyanins to understand how photosynthetic organisms capture light energy.
- The phycocyanins in red algae help them absorb wavelengths of light that penetrate deep ocean water.
- Researchers extracted phycocyanins from spirulina for use as natural food colorants.
- Phycocyanins work alongside chlorophyll to maximize photosynthetic efficiency in aquatic organisms.