Sunday, March 7, 2010

If the earth were bathed in green light, what would happen to photosynthesis?

If it's extra green light on top of the normal light, then it wouldn't do much to existing plants because they only reflect most of green light and could absorb the existing red and blue light. If there's anything that absorbs green light, they would be selected for but if green plants live, then there would be no space for them to grow. If the red and blue light was removed so it's only green light, then green plants and algae would probably die since it would be similar to very receiving little light and the ecosystem would be in chaos. This would make room for plants that absorb green light and they could grow bigger. However, there are other colors of light in the electromagnetic spectrum such as infrared and ultraviolet that may be being absorbed, as well.If the earth were bathed in green light, what would happen to photosynthesis?
Chlorophyll, the green pigment common to all photosynthetic cells, absorbs all wavelengths of visible light except green, which it reflects to be detected by our eyes. So if the earth were bathed in green light, photosynthesis would stop.If the earth were bathed in green light, what would happen to photosynthesis?
photosynthesis would stop all together because chlorophyll reflects green light, that is why plants appear green. what could probably happen is a plant mutates so that the chlorophyll protein no longer reflects green light, but uses it to photosynthesize. this species would dominate all plants, and some animal life would continue, eating this plant. eventually a whole new world dependent on green light would develop.
Green light ? - Well if it was of a higher energy level than white light it may increase photosynthesis but I'm not entirely sure.

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