When we look at a leaf, we see the colors of light that are reflected off its surface. How does this explain there relatively low flow of oxygen in green light?
If all the green light is reflected, what will be absorbed?
I hope this helps. Thanks for asking.
To understand why there is a relatively low flow of oxygen in green light, we need to delve into the process of photosynthesis and the role of different pigments in plant cells.
During photosynthesis, plants use sunlight to convert carbon dioxide and water into glucose (a type of sugar) and oxygen. Chlorophyll, the main pigment responsible for capturing light energy and initiating photosynthesis, absorbs red and blue wavelengths of light more efficiently than green wavelengths. As a result, green light is not absorbed as readily by chlorophyll and is instead reflected or transmitted.
Since green light is not as absorbed by chlorophyll, it means that the energy from green light is not efficiently transferred to the chlorophyll molecules. Consequently, photosynthesis is less efficient with green light as compared to red or blue light. This lower efficiency results in a relatively reduced flow of oxygen production when plants are primarily exposed to green light.
To summarize, the relatively low flow of oxygen in green light can be explained by the fact that chlorophyll, the primary pigment involved in photosynthesis, does not absorb green light as effectively as other wavelengths.