Log out Go to App
Go to App

Learning Materials

Features

Discover

Chapter 20: Problem 25

Explain why plants are generally green.

Short Answer

Expert verified
Plants are generally green because their cells contain chlorophyll. Chlorophyll is a pigment that absorbs blue and red light, reflecting green light. This reflected green light is what we see. This is an evolutionary adaptation helping plants to absorb light useful for photosynthesis but avoiding absorbing too much that might cause damage.

Step by step solution

01

Introduction to Photosynthesis

Photosynthesis is the process by which green plants, algae, and some bacteria convert light energy, usually from the sun, into chemical energy in the form of glucose, or sugar. During this process, these organisms absorb carbon dioxide from the air, and water from the ground (in the case of green terrestrial plants), and convert these, using the energy from light, into glucose and oxygen.
02

Understanding Chlorophyll

Chlorophyll is the pigment that gives plants their green color. Pigments are substances that absorb certain wavelengths of visible light, reflecting others.Chlorophyll absorbs light most efficiently in the blue and red parts of the electromagnetic spectrum, but less in the green part. It reflects or transmits green light, which is why we see plants as green.
03

Why Green?

Why not just absorb all light for more energy? This has to do with the balance between two needs of the plant: To absorb enough light for photosynthesis, but also protect itself from photo-damage, which is damage caused by absorbing too much light.Blue light has high energy and can cause damage. Red light has lower energy but is absorbed in high amounts. By reflecting green light, which falls in the middle, plants protect themselves from absorbing too much high-energy light, while taking advantage of the useful wavelengths. In other words, the green color is a result of evolutionary adaptation to sunlight exposure.

Unlock Step-by-Step Solutions & Ace Your Exams!

  • Full Textbook Solutions

    Get detailed explanations and key concepts

  • Unlimited Al creation

    Al flashcards, explanations, exams and more...

  • Ads-free access

    To over 500 millions flashcards

  • Money-back guarantee

    We refund you if you fail your exam.

Start your free trial

Over 30 million students worldwide already upgrade their learning with Vaia!

One App. One Place for Learning.

All the tools & learning materials you need for study success - in one app.

Get started for free

Most popular questions from this chapter

Explain how all of the following statements can be true: "Many plants use starch to pro- vide energy"; "Energy is supplied by glucose in both plants and animals'; and "ATP is the energy source in all living cells."

a. Write one possible RNA sequence that codes for the following amino acids: aspartic acid-glutamine-tryptophan. b. What is the sequence in a complementary strand of DNA?

What sequence of amino acids do the following RNA base sequences code? a. AAGAUU GAA CAC b. AUG UCU UCG AGU UCA UAG

Describe the role of ATP and what the name \(A T P\) stands for.

Explain how a similar reaction forms three kinds of biological polymers: polysaccha- rides, polypeptides, and nucleic acids.
See all solutions

Recommended explanations on Chemistry Textbooks

Nuclear Chemistry

Read Explanation

Chemical Reactions

Read Explanation

Chemistry Branches

Read Explanation

Ionic and Molecular Compounds

Read Explanation

Kinetics

Read Explanation

Physical Chemistry

Read Explanation
View all explanations

What do you think about this solution?

We value your feedback to improve our textbook solutions.

Study anywhere. Anytime. Across all devices.

Sign-up for free