Why does a plant use several pigments instead of one or two?Why are plant leaves green?
Pigments are a way for a plant to absorb the sun's energy in the form of light (photosynthesis). The different colored pigments absorb different wavelengths of light and pass it on directly to the plant to make energy, except for one class called the carotenoids, which much pass it on the the chlorophyll before anything happens The plants leaves are green because they absorb all the other wavelengthss (red, blue, oragne etc) except the green one, and the reflection of the green is what our eyes see.
The several other pigments that are found with chlorophyll a multi-task. They work with chlorophyll a to provide energy by absorbing light from the sun and other jobs as well. Some accessory pigments help protect the plant while collecting energy, others help regulate the photosynthetic process.
