Chlorophyll is the main pigment so why do plants have accessory pigments?

Answer 1

A plant has multiple pigments present in leaves and other photosynthesizing parts (if present).

Plants depend strictly upon light energy to make food. Since, light is a combination of various wavelengths, so leaves are exposed to almost all of them. Now, chlorophyll absorbs only a particular wavelength of light to make energy and rest is wasted. To account for such a loss, other accessory pigments are present, like:- carotenoids, fucoxanthin etc.

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Answer 2

Plants have accessory pigments in addition to chlorophyll for several reasons:

  1. Broadening Absorption Spectrum: Accessory pigments, such as carotenoids and phycobilins, have absorption spectra that complement chlorophyll. This broadens the range of wavelengths of light that plants can absorb for photosynthesis, allowing them to utilize light energy more efficiently, especially in low light conditions or under specific light wavelengths.

  2. Photoprotection: Accessory pigments can serve as photoprotective agents by dissipating excess light energy as heat, thereby reducing the risk of damage to chlorophyll molecules and other cellular components from reactive oxygen species generated by excessive light absorption.

  3. Antioxidant Properties: Some accessory pigments, like carotenoids, possess antioxidant properties, scavenging harmful free radicals generated during photosynthesis and protecting plant cells from oxidative damage.

  4. Regulation of Light Harvesting: Accessory pigments can modulate the efficiency of light harvesting by transferring absorbed energy to chlorophyll molecules or by acting as light-harvesting antennas, directing light energy to reaction centers where photosynthesis occurs.

  5. Adaptation to Environmental Conditions: Different types of accessory pigments may be synthesized in response to environmental factors such as light intensity, quality, and availability, as well as temperature and nutrient levels. This allows plants to adapt to diverse environmental conditions and optimize their photosynthetic performance.

Overall, the presence of accessory pigments in plants enhances their ability to capture and utilize light energy for photosynthesis, improves their photoprotection mechanisms, and provides flexibility to thrive in various environmental conditions.

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Answer from HIX Tutor

When evaluating a one-sided limit, you need to be careful when a quantity is approaching zero since its sign is different depending on which way it is approaching zero from. Let us look at some examples.

When evaluating a one-sided limit, you need to be careful when a quantity is approaching zero since its sign is different depending on which way it is approaching zero from. Let us look at some examples.

When evaluating a one-sided limit, you need to be careful when a quantity is approaching zero since its sign is different depending on which way it is approaching zero from. Let us look at some examples.

When evaluating a one-sided limit, you need to be careful when a quantity is approaching zero since its sign is different depending on which way it is approaching zero from. Let us look at some examples.

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