chlorophyll
Understanding Pigments Different kinds of pigments exist, and each absorbs only certain wavelengths colors of visible light. Pigments reflect the color of the wavelengths that they cannot absorb. All photosynthetic organisms contain a pigment called chlorophyll a, which humans see as the common green color associated with plants. Chlorophyll a absorbs wavelengths from either end of the visible spectrum blue and red , but not from green. Because green is reflected, chlorophyll appears green. Other pigment types include chlorophyll b which absorbs blue and red-orange light and the carotenoids. Each type of pigment can be identified by the specific pattern of wavelengths it absorbs from visible light, which is its absorption spectrum. Many photosynthetic organisms have a mixture of pigments; between them, the organism can absorb energy from a wider range of visible-light wavelengths. Not all photosynthetic organisms have full access to sunlight. Some organisms grow underwater where light intensity decreases with depth, and certain wavelengths are absorbed by the water. Other organisms grow in competition for light. Plants on the rainforest floor must be able to absorb any bit of light that comes through, because the taller trees block most of the sunlight Figure 5.11 .