of a pigment to absorb various wavelengths of light can be
measured with an instrument called a spectrophotometer.
This machine directs beams of light of different wavelengths
through a solution of the pigment and measures the fraction
of the light transmitted at each wavelength. A graph plotting
a pigment’s light absorption versus wavelength is called an
absorption spectrum.
The absorption spectra of chloroplast pigments provide
clues to the relative effectiveness of different wavelengths
for driving photosynthesis, since light can perform work
in chloroplasts only if it is absorbed. the absorption spectra of three types of pigments in chloroplasts:
chlorophyll a, the key light-capturing pigment
that participates directly in the light reactions; the accessory
pigment chlorophyll b; and a separate group of accessory
pigments called carotenoids. The spectrum of chlorophyll a suggests that violet-blue and red light work best for photosynthesis,
since they are absorbed, while green is the least
effective color. This is confirmed by an action spectrum for
photosynthesis, which profiles the relative
effectiveness of different wavelengths of radiation in driving
the process.
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