What Is the Green Substance in Plants?
It might seem like a simple question, but to understand why plants are green means that you must understand the basic biology of plants. The biology of plants is almost completely dependent on the substance that makes the leaves of plants green. This substance is called chlorophyll. Does this Spark an idea?
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Why is Chlorophyll Green?
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Chlorophyll is green because that is the color it needs to be to produce energy for plants. Sunlight is one of the key components that gives a plant energy. It is the reflection of light off a substance that makes it look a certain color. Chlorophyll looks green because it absorbs so much red and blue light waves to make energy for the plant. The remaining wavelengths of light are reflected as the color green.
Photosynthesis
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Chlorophyll converts the sun's energy into food. This process is called photosynthesis. This is a complex biological process but, essentially, antennae within the chlorophyll take the energy from the sun and channel it throughout the plant. This energy is used to convert carbon dioxide into usable energy that the plant uses to grow. The carbon dioxide is processed into a carbohydrate form, with an oxygen byproduct.
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When Plants Aren't Green
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Anyone that has seen leaves in autumn understands that plants are not always green. Trees get yellow leaves, other plants turn yellow or brown and die or go dormant as the seasons change. As the color of a plant changes, the chlorophyll changes on a chemical level, which makes it reflect different colors. Also, when plants become burned from excess heat and the leaves turn yellow or brown, the chlorophyll has been damaged. This leaves the plant unable to continue its energy production processes.
Leaves
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Chlorophyll resides in a very important part of the plant's biological makeup known as the chloroplast. This is a cell that is only found in plants, not in mammals or other species. Within a chloroplast are stacks of thylakoids. It is inside the thylakoids that chlorophyll resides. Chloroplasts and thylakoids are found in much higher concentrations in the leaves of plants than in other parts. That is why most of the photosynthesis process takes place in the leaves rather than in the stalks, and why leaves are green while branches and stems are sometimes brown or a paler shade of green.
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