Which pigment is responsible for the green color of plants?

Which pigment is responsible for the green color of plants?

• A. Carotene
• B. Xanthophyll
• C. Chlorophyll
• D. Anthocyanin

Answer: (C)

Chlorophyll is the pigment that gives plants their characteristic green color. It plays a crucial role in photosynthesis, the process by which plants, algae, and some bacteria convert light energy into chemical energy. Chlorophyll absorbs light most efficiently in the blue and red wavelengths of the light spectrum but reflects green light, which is why we perceive plants as green. This ability to capture light energy is essential for sustaining plant life and, by extension, all life on Earth, as it forms the basis of the food chain. Other pigments listed serve different functions. Carotene, for example, contributes to yellow and orange colors in fruits and vegetables, xanthophylls also provide yellow pigmentation and are involved in photoprotection, and anthocyanins can impart red, purple, or blue colors in plants but are not key to the green coloration.

Chlorophyll is the pigment that gives plants their characteristic green color. It plays a crucial role in photosynthesis, the process by which plants, algae, and some bacteria convert light energy into chemical energy. Chlorophyll absorbs light most efficiently in the blue and red wavelengths of the light spectrum but reflects green light, which is why we perceive plants as green. This ability to capture light energy is essential for sustaining plant life and, by extension, all life on Earth, as it forms the basis of the food chain.

Other pigments listed serve different functions. Carotene, for example, contributes to yellow and orange colors in fruits and vegetables, xanthophylls also provide yellow pigmentation and are involved in photoprotection, and anthocyanins can impart red, purple, or blue colors in plants but are not key to the green coloration.