Question

What colors (of the electromagnetic spectrum) are absorbed by plants? What would happen to photosynthesis if the green light waves that reach a plant were blocked?

Answer 1

Chlorophyll absorbs all other colors of the electromagnetic spectrum but it practically does not absorb the green. The green color is reflected and such reflection provides the characteristic color of plants.

• If the green light that reaches a plant is blocked and the exposition of the plant to other colours is maintained there would be no harm for photosynthesis.
• Apparent paradox: the green light is not important for photosynthesis.
• There is difference between the optimun color frequency for the two main types of chlorophyll, the chlorophyll A and the chlorophyll B.
• Chlorophyll A has an absorption peak in approximately 420 nm wavelenght (anil) and chlorophyll B has its major absorption in 450 nm wavelenght (blue)