Importance of Chlorophyll

Photosynthesis

It is a process of plants converting light energy and making sugar

Pigments

It is found in the chlorophyll of plants which absorbs the light.

Light energy

Light is a form of electromagnetic radiation, a type of energy that travels in waves.

Other kinds of electromagnetic radiation that we encounter in our daily lives include radio waves, microwaves, and X-rays.

Together, all the types of electromagnetic radiation make up the electromagnetic spectrum.

Wavelength

It is the distance of a wave from crest to crest. The longer the wavelengths the less energy it carries and the ones with shorter wavelengths carry stronger energy

Photons

Discrete packets of kinetic energy. All electromagnetic waves have it.

A photon’s wavelength is the distance it moves during a complete vibration.

The shorter the photon’s wavelength, the more energy it contains.

Visible spectrum

The only part of the electromagnetic spectrum that can be seen by the human eye this includes electromagnetic radiation whose wavelength is between about 400 nm and 700 nm. Visible light from the sun appears white, but it’s actually made up of multiple wavelengths (colors) of light. Red has the longest wavelength and violet has the shortest

Pigments

Pigments absorb only specific wavelengths of light and the light that are not absorbed are being reflected which gives the organism its color. For instance, plants appear green to us because they contain many chlorophyll a and b molecules, which reflect green light.

Two groups of pigments that are important in plants

Chlorophylls and carotenoid

The most abundant is

Chlorophylls

Accessory pigments

Are energy capturing pigment molecules. Chlorophyll b and carotenoids are accessory pigments in plants.

What wavelength does chlorophyll a and b absorb

Blue and red. They appear green because it is the wavelength that is absorbed less and reflected

What wavelength does carotenoids reflect

Reflect longer wavelengths of light, so they appear red, orange, or yellow.