Final answer:
Energy from a photon absorbed by a pigment molecule is transferred to the reaction center of a photosystem during photosynthesis, where it excites an electron that participates in the formation of energy storage molecules.
Step-by-step explanation:
When a pigment molecule absorbs a photon, the energy is transferred from one pigment molecule to another until it is routed to the reaction center of a photosystem. In photosynthesis, pigment molecules in the light-harvesting complex absorb energy from sunlight. This energy is passed from pigment to pigment until it reaches the reaction center of a photosystem. At the reaction center, the energy is used to excite an electron, which can then be transferred through an electron transport chain, eventually leading to the production of energy storage molecules like ATP and NADPH during the light-dependent reactions of photosynthesis.
The light-dependent reactions take place in the thylakoid membranes of chloroplasts in plants. The pigment molecules, including chlorophylls and carotenoids, absorb photons of light in the 400 to 700 nm wavelength range, which corresponds to visible light. This absorption causes an electron in the chlorophyll molecule to become excited and transfer its energy through various pigments until it reaches the reaction center.