Question

Green plants appear green, and purple bacteria appear purple because.

A) They only appear green and purple because those are the colors that they absorb the most.

B) They use that color to further protect themselves from UV light.

C) Only specific regions of the spectrum from which they absorb are suited for protection against rapidly changing solar energy.

D) They appear this way only because these colors are reflected off the plant itself, and this is the only color we can see.

Answer 1

Green plants appear green and purple bacteria appear purple because of the pigments they contain that absorb specific wavelengths of light and reflect the rest.

Step-by-step explanation:

Green plants appear green and purple bacteria appear purple because they contain pigments that absorb specific wavelengths of light. These pigments reflect or transmit the wavelengths they cannot absorb, giving the plants and bacteria their characteristic colors. For example, green plants contain chlorophyll a which absorbs blue and red light but reflects green light, making the plants appear green. Purple bacteria contain bacteriochlorophylls that absorb purple and green light, giving them their purple color.