Photosynthetic Pigments Absorb Light

Photosynthetic pigments

Molecules that absorb light for photosynthesis

Photons

Particles of light that can be absorbed, transmitted, or reflected

Absorption spectrum

Range of wavelengths absorbed by a pigment

Chlorophylls

Pigments that absorb blue and red photons effectively

Carotenoids

Pigments that absorb blue and green light

Action spectrum

Shows the rate of photosynthesis at each wavelength of light

Correlation

Relationship between absorption spectra of pigments and action spectrum

Absorbance

Process of absorbing different wavelengths of light

Transmittance

Process of allowing certain wavelengths of light to pass through

Peaks

High points on a graph, indicating maximum activity