Plant cell

Why do plants look green?

Plant cell

Why do plants look green?

Imagine you're walking through a lush forest and notice that all the plants are green. Why can't they be any other color?

Plants have a special pigment called chlorophyll that captures sunlight, which is essential for making food through photosynthesis. This pigment absorbs most wavelengths of light but reflects green, making plants appear green to our eyes.

Example

Chlorophyll absorbs sunlight for photosynthesis, reflecting green light, which is why plants look green.

Remember this

Chlorophyll's primary function is to absorb sunlight for photosynthesis.

Related concepts

Swipe through 100 ML concepts daily

Open Pocket Polymath