What Is the Green Stuff in Plants Called?
Plants appear to be green because of light reflection. The molecules in the plant called chlorophyll absorb red and blue light from the color spectrum but reflect green light, creating the green of plant stems and leaves visible to the human eye. Does this Spark an idea?
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Kinds of Chlorophyll
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Plants thrive by absorbing two kinds of chlorophyll from the sun. They gain their energy through light absorption from the red and blue parts of the chlorophyll. The remaining chlorophyll deters this absorption, and the resulting reflection makes the plants look green.
Other Functions of Chlorophyll
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Besides giving plants color, chlorophyll transforms sunlight into oxygen and carbohydrates through a process called photosynthesis. This provides plants with nutrients to survive as well as necessary nourishment to the animals that consume them.
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Odd Fact
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Despite its spelling, chlorophyll has no relation to chlorine. In Greek, the word "chloros" means yellowish green, which also refers to the color of chlorine gas.
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References
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- Photo Credit Plants image by Viktor Alevetdinov from Fotolia.com
