• Question: Why Is The Plants Green?

    Asked by peacockgirl to Davie, Gemma, James P, James V, Nuala on 27 Jun 2012.
    • Photo: James Pope

      James Pope answered on 27 Jun 2012:

      Hi peacockgirl,

      Plants are green due to a vital part of their cells, called Chloroplasts. Chloroplasts are were the chemical reaction that is photosynthesis takes place and carbon dioxide and water are turned into energy (in the form of glucose which is sugar) and oxygen through the power of the sun.

      Without photosynthesis, we would have energy at the base of all surface food chains and webs (some deep sea life uses a different chemical reaction to produce energy) or the replenishment of oxygen in the atmosphere. It is very much responsible for life on Earth as we know it, and all this is possible due to chloroplasts which are green coloured and are what makes plants green!

    • Photo: Gemma Purser

      Gemma Purser answered on 27 Jun 2012:

      Visible light is white to our eyes but is made up of all colours of light including red, yellow, blue and green, this is the part of the electromagnetic spectrum we can see. Everything that you can see around you absorbs light. Some things absorbs all the colours of visible light, these are the things that look black to our eyes. Some things reflect all of the visible light, these are the things that look white to our eyes.

      So If plants look green its because they are absobing the red, blue and yellow light and reflecting green light. Plants look the colour green because there leaves containing the chlorophyll. Chloropyll are the molecules that make the chloroplasts look green.

      Did you know not all plants are green though! even though they contain chlorophyll!!
      Some plants can have red, purple or even black leaves all year round and not just in the autumn. Thats because they contain other molecules instead which are in higher concentrations that the chloropyll.

      Orange/yellow looking plants contain carotinoids. These molecules reflect orange light and so make the leaves look orange/yellow. Carrots contain alot of carotinoids and thats why they look orange!

      Anthocyanins are molecules in plants can make their leaves look purple!

    • Photo: Nuala Carson

      Nuala Carson answered on 28 Jun 2012:

      Hey peacockgirl,

      Yeah so plant leaves are green because their cells contain chlorophyll. Chlorophyll allows plants to convert carbon dioxide to oxygen and photosynthesis, which is essentially the foundation for all live on earth. light is made up of all different colors which travel at different wavelengths. Chlorophyll looks green because of it reflects the color green from light and absorbs all the other colors.

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