Question

Answer the following question.

Why does chlorophyll appear green in reflected light and red transmitted light? Explain the significance of these phenomena in terms of photosynthesis.

Answer 1

1. Chlorophyll is a light-absorbing pigment. It absorbs light in red and blue regions of the visible light spectrum. The absorption spectrum of chlorophyll for red light is maximum so chlorophyll appears red in transmitted light. Greenlight is not absorbed but reflected so chlorophyll appears green in reflected light.
2. Chlorophyll predominantly absorbs red and violet-blue light and it allows plants to use this light as a form of energy for the photosynthesis process.
3. It is the most effective wavelength of light in photosynthesis as it has the exactly the right amount of energy to excite electrons of chlorophyll and boost them out of their orbits to higher energy levels.