Where in plant cells is chlorophyll located?

Chlorophyll is located in the chloroplasts of plant cells, specifically within thylakoid membranes. These disc-shaped structures are stacked like coins into grana inside each chloroplast. The chlorophyll pigment molecules are embedded in the membrane proteins, where they capture sunlight for photosynthesis. When light strikes chlorophyll, it excites electrons that begin the energy-conversion process. Chloroplasts are most abundant in leaf cells, particularly in the palisade mesophyll layer just beneath the epidermis, since this is where sunlight is strongest. Each chloroplast contains hundreds of grana and thousands of chlorophyll molecules. The green color we see in plants comes from chlorophyll’s ability to absorb red and blue light while reflecting green. Without chloroplasts, plants would not be able to trap solar energy and produce glucose from carbon dioxide and water. Hence, the chloroplast’s internal organization is critical to efficient light absorption and energy conversion that sustain nearly all life on Earth.