- chlorophyll or bacteriochlorophyll antenna systems
- reaction centers
- accessory pigments
- retinal proteins
- photosynthetic symbionts
- temporarily acquired chloroplasts
Operational definition
Acquisition mechanism.
The absorption of photons by pigments or photoactive cofactors and the delivery of their excitation energy to a reaction center, charge-separation apparatus, or light-driven ion pump.
Photon capture includes antenna pigments, chlorophyll systems, bacteriochlorophyll systems, and retinal-based rhodopsins. It excludes light detection that does not make a meaningful contribution to metabolic energy conservation.