How do plants absorb different wavelengths of light?

Chlorophyll is a pigment used in photosynthetic processes that is present in photosystems within thylakoids.

Different types of chlorophyll, such as chlorophyll a, chlorophyll c, etc., absorb light at different wavelengths; the photosystem's abbreviation tells us what wavelength the chlorophyll absorbs light at, for example.

The reason photosystem 1 is called P700 is because its chlorophyll absorbs light with a wavelength of 700 nm. Similarly, photosystem 2 is called P680 because its chlorophyll absorbs light with a wavelength of 680 nm. Bleaching would result if the chlorophyll absorbed light at a wavelength higher than that.

Plants use pigments called chlorophyll a, chlorophyll b, carotenoids, and phycobilins, which are found in specialized structures called chloroplasts, to absorb various wavelengths of light for photosynthesis. These pigments have distinct absorption spectra.