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Which structure in a prokaryotic cell contains the photosynthetic pigments in photosynthetic bacteria?
publish date: 2026/06/16 07:40:37.782894 UTC
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Photosynthetic prokaryotes such as cyanobacteria lack chloroplasts. Instead, they use a different internal membrane structure to carry out photosynthesis.
What structure contains the photosynthetic pigments in these cells?
Correct Answer
Photosynthetic lamellae
Explanation
In photosynthetic prokaryotes such as cyanobacteria, there are no chloroplasts. Instead, photosynthesis occurs on photosynthetic lamellae - internal membrane systems studded with phycobilisomes (pigment-protein complexes). These serve a similar function to the grana in eukaryotic chloroplasts but without the surrounding chloroplast membrane.
Reference
Biology: A Self-Teaching Guide