Why Are Plants Green?
Chlorophyll, Light, and Photosynthesis
Let’s Talk Science
Mark, do you know why most plants are green?
Umm... maybe because green suits them well?
Haha, maybe! But there must be a science reason. Let’s ask the teacher!
Teacher Explains Natural Phenomena
Plants are green because of a special pigment called chlorophyll. It's found in their leaves and helps absorb sunlight. But it doesn't absorb all colors!
What does chlorophyll do?
Chlorophyll absorbs red and blue light, but it reflects green light. Since the green light bounces off the leaves, that's the color we see!
Why is light so important?
Plants need sunlight for photosynthesis – a process where they make their own food. With the help of chlorophyll, the plant uses light to turn carbon dioxide from the air and water from the ground into sugar and oxygen.
Where is chlorophyll found?
Chlorophyll is located in cell structures called chloroplasts. They act like tiny food factories inside the leaf – without them, the plant couldn’t survive.
Why aren’t all plants completely green?
Some plants have other pigments (yellow, red, purple), but they usually still contain chlorophyll. In autumn, chlorophyll breaks down, which is why we see the other leaf colors more clearly.
Did You Know What NDVI Is?
Did you know that scientists can “see” how healthy a plant is — even from space? They use satellites that capture images of Earth not only in colors we see (red, blue, green), but also in infrared light. That’s a kind of light our eyes can’t see, but plants react to it.
Healthy plants reflect more infrared light, while sick or dry plants reflect less. Scientists use this to create special images that show whether the plants in forests, fields, and parks are healthy — without even visiting them!
This method is called NDVI – short for the Normalized Difference Vegetation Index. It’s used all over the world to monitor the health of plants, crops, and forests.