photosynthesis

[AntonioLao]

One of the end products of photosynthesis is sugar or glucose with formula C6H12O6. The 2nd is oxygen gas O2. The 3rd is plain water H2O. In some textbooks the reaction is expressed as 6CO2+6H2O+photons®C6H12O6+6O2. In others, CO2+2H2O®[CH2O]+H2O+O2. Although both are balanced, the first ignored the water output; the 2nd ignored the energy input (photon absorption). As sources of energy photons, sunlight contains a complete range of frequency. However, photosynthesis has less uses for green frequency thus making the appearance of green plants. In winter seasons, falling leaves seem to reflect orange and red photons. But the mystery is the whereabouts of blue and purple photons before, during, and after photosynthesis. On the other hand, flowering plants seem to reflect white, red, orange, yellow, blue, and purple photons but never green. If anyone ever see a green rose then the following limerick is more appropriate: Roses are green, violet are yellow, sugars are bitter, blood cells are blue, and so are you.

[mkirkpatrick]

What nature seems to do automatically,we need to try and do mechanically,whether we will ever be able to mimic nature to any realizable use remains to be seen.



regards michael.

[ScottAnfield]

I think that leaves are green because the chlorophyll absorbs the green light as it is the most efficient. The reason that flowers are not green because their primary aim is to attract insects to pollenate them, and the flowers need to stand out from the stem and leaves. However, this doesn't explain why some brightly coloured flowers self-pollinate i.e reproduce with themselves to create clones.
We have replicated nature many times in building structures and many other things.

[AntonioLao]

think that leaves are green because the chlorophyll absorbs the green light

Physical explanation would attribute color to reflection rather than absorption.

[ScottAnfield]

I meant reflect, got confused because in biology class you get taught that leaves absorb light and in physics they tell you that a colour is reflecting light. What a great education system we have in the UK!