The Importance Of Light And Visible Light

Light consists of electric and magnetic fields, commonly known as electromagnetic waves. These waves are generated by the movement back and forward of electric charges, or oscillation. The term light is commonly referred to just those electromagnetic waves that we are able to see. Light can only be visible when it has a wavelength within a narrow range of values called the visible spectrum, if the wavelength is too long or short, it is a different kind of wavelength in the electromagnetic spectrum. Visible light has a wavelength between about 300 nanometers and 700 nanometers. Violet light has the shortest wavelength in the visible spectrum, and red light has the longest wavelength; all the other colors in the spectrum have a wavelength between

However, when plants get hit with sunlight, they utilize it. Through a process called photosynthesis, plants use light energy to make sugars and carbohydrates. Photosynthesis begins in organic molecules called pigments, which are found in plant cells’ chloroplasts. A pigment is a chemical compound that reflects certain wavelengths, which make it colorful. However, an ability more important to reflect light is to absorb certain wavelengths. Pigments are used by autotrophs, which are anything that relies solely on photosynthesis to make their own food. According to UCMP Berkeley, Pigments react within a narrow range of the visible spectrum, which makes different pigments different colors, and plants need to produce multiple types of pigments in order to absorb all the light possible. There are a few classes of pigments, but chlorophyll, carotenoids, and phycobilins are probably the most common. There are five types of chlorophylls, chlorophyll a and b being the most important. Chlorophylls are greenish molecules that contain a ring shaped stable molecule, called a porphyrin ring, which makes electrons freely move. If they move freely the ring can gain or lose electrons, and then other molecules can be provided with energized electrons. This process is how chlorophyll captures light. Another type of pigment, Carotenoids, are red, yellow, or orange colored pigments. They include the compound carotene, which is where carrots get their color. Carotenoids pass their absorbed energy to chlorophyll because they cannot directly transfer sunlight energy into the photosynthetic pathway; and because of this, they are called accessory pigments. They also play a big role in getting rid of excess light, because a big amount of sunlight often kills pigments and other photosynthetic machinery, making the plants bleach.