Final answer:
The reaction center of purple photosynthetic bacteria contains bacteriochlorophyll a molecules, which are specific pigments used for capturing light energy during photosynthesis. The exact number may vary, but the presence of bacteriochlorophyll a is essential for the reaction center's function.
Step-by-step explanation:
The reaction center of purple photosynthetic bacteria contains special pigment molecules, which are crucial for the process of photosynthesis. Specifically, these bacteria use bacteriochlorophyll a molecules in their reaction center.
While the exact number of bacteriochlorophyll a molecules can vary between species, the key takeaway is that it is the type of chlorophyll used by purple bacteria for capturing light energy.
The pigment is embedded in a protein matrix in the reaction center and is vital for the transfer of energy to the electron transport chain, eventually leading to ATP and NADPH production.
In contrast to plants that have chlorophyll a and b in their light-harvesting complexes, purple bacteria utilize bacteriochlorophyll for their photosynthetic processes.
Johann Deisenhofer, Robert Huber, and Hartmut Michel were awarded the Nobel Prize in Chemistry for their contributions to understanding the structure and function of these bacterial reaction centers.