Crucially important Chlorophyll f

Stromatolites today
Hamelin Pool Marine Nature Reserve, Australia

Lecture materials in Florida International University FIU

"Chlorophyll f was announced to be present in cyanobacteria and other oxygenic microorganisms that form stromatolites in 2010." (wikipedia)

• Jabr, Ferris A New Form of Chlorophyll?. Scientific American. August 19, 2010
• Kate McAlpine Infrared chlorophyll could boost solar cells. New Scientist. August 19, 2010.

The point is that chlorophyll f is able to use infra-red light for energy.

Quite a point!


Chemical structure
The only chemical difference between chlorophyll f and a is an additional oxygen atom and two less hydrogen atoms in f.

Chlorophyll f        Chlorophyll a
C₅₅H₇₀O₆N₄Mg    C₅₅H₇₂O₅N₄Mg

How can such a small structural difference make such a big functional difference?



Origins of atmosphere!

Cyanobacteria cell

Lecture materials in FIU

The presence of chlorophyll f in cyanobacteria is of utmost theological significance for Creation.

The earliest currently known signs of life on planet Earth are cyanobacteria found on about 3.5 billion years old basalt in West Australia [myBlog].

Scientists suggest that cyanobacteria began to produce oxygen using photosynthesis and that eventually Earth got the atmosphere from this process. Oxygen rich atmosphere and water make life possible as we know it. Chlorophyll f would be the engine for that - and with infra-red!


Theological significance
If it turns out that this is what actually happened at the beginning of life upon Earth the process is  highly significant when we look at the grander picture of life on our planet. There was no haphazard random beginning of some anomalous organic thing that evolved into this and that. Instead, the beginning of life on Earth in oxygen producing highly sophisticated bacteria with DNA seems ludicrously important and meaningful for the entire Creation.

Don't you agree?