Why are plants green?

Discussion in 'Earth Science' started by esbo, Jul 20, 2011.

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  1. origin

    origin Heading towards oblivion Valued Senior Member

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    It may make no difference to your question, but it does give some insight into your ability to reason.
     
    origin, Jul 21, 2011
    #101

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  3. adoucette

    adoucette Caca Occurs Valued Senior Member

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    Well you can respect the people, but the fact is man (as Homo Sapiens) have been around for FAR FAR longer than a few thousand years, as my link shows.

    Your statement,
    can only be made based on total ignorance of the science that proves beyond a shadow of a doubt that that statement is absurd.

    More to the point, it's something that is so well known to scientists that making that statement on a Science Board appears to have no other reason besides clearly staking your position as a Creationist.

    Arthur
     
    adoucette, Jul 22, 2011
    #102

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  5. adoucette

    adoucette Caca Occurs Valued Senior Member

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    No one suggested that evolution stopped.
     
    adoucette, Jul 22, 2011
    #103

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  7. Trippy

    Trippy ALEA IACTA EST Staff Member

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    So does chlorophyll:

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    The fact that it looks green goes back to my first point, that some wavelengths are absorbed more effectively than others.

    However, the same is true for our eyes - some wavelengths are absorbed more efficiently than others (although sight is a mechanical process that stimulates a nerve reaction, where photosynthesis is a chemical one).

    The same is also true for Melanin - it absorbs some parts of the visual spectrum more effectively than others, whether we percieve this colour as brown, black, or tan is simply a matter of the degree of saturation.

    Finally, we come back to my point regarding auxillary photosynthetic pigments:

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    Which are actually actively involved in harvesting light energy for photosynthesis:

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    However looking at those spectra, there is one thing that stands out to me - none of the other pigments are absorptive over the broad range that Chlorophyll a and b are. Chlorophyll a and b absorb, to some degree, over the full visual spectrum from UV to the minimum wavelength of 700nm.

    Not even Retinal can match this.

    So perhaps therein lies the answer (or another answer).

    Chlorophyll came to be dominant because Chlorophyll was the most efficient single pigment across the widest range of wavelengths, which allowed Chlorophyll to out compete any alternatives (however plants using antenna pigments in addition to chlorophyll were able to outcompete those that used chlorophyll alone).

    (I had a slightly different, but longer post. However that got eaten).
     
    Trippy, Jul 22, 2011
    #104
  8. Trippy

    Trippy ALEA IACTA EST Staff Member

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    in addition to my previous post (because of the limit on inline images).

    I think this graph puts my above assertions into perspective:

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    Note that it only deals with Chlorophyll, not chlorophyll + Antenna pigments.
     
    Trippy, Jul 22, 2011
    #105
  9. Me-Ki-Gal

    Me-Ki-Gal Banned Banned

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    Hate that when it happens , Eating our writings that is . Most the time I think it is for the better. I am lucky that way cause in retrospect some of them where nasty posts with appearances of violent tendencies . Bannable offenses . Me no like banning
     
    Me-Ki-Gal, Jul 22, 2011
    #106
  10. Trippy

    Trippy ALEA IACTA EST Staff Member

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    You have not replied.

    This is not what was being suggested.
     
    Trippy, Jul 22, 2011
    #107
  11. MacGyver1968

    MacGyver1968 Fixin' Shit that Ain't Broke Valued Senior Member

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    It's ok...I'm learnin' me the HELL out of some science! Thanks Trippy and others.
     
    MacGyver1968, Jul 22, 2011
    #108
  12. Trippy

    Trippy ALEA IACTA EST Staff Member

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    When I'm at work, I don't have it set to remember my login details.

    However, that means that if I take to long to post, when I click the submit button it tells me to login to post. Sometimes when I do that it throws an error at me, telling me I have logged in since I last logged in and to use my browser back button to try posting again, however, when you do this, your post disappears.

    This is one of the other reasons I compose posts in notepad first. That way, it doesn't matter if I loose them, i have a backup. But sometimes, I neglect to use notepad because I udnerestimate how long a reply is going to take me.
     
    Trippy, Jul 22, 2011
    #109
  13. Me-Ki-Gal

    Me-Ki-Gal Banned Banned

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    Yeah that is the same with Me exactly. I went a long time with out it happening until yesterday . Blam it happened . My little pea brain tells Me if I put My name and code in faster then it won't happen . That is if I think I took to long to compose the post . Oh to be ritualistic is a curse . I tell you what , It is fun though
     
    Me-Ki-Gal, Jul 22, 2011
    #110
  14. esbo

    esbo Registered Senior Member

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    In your own unbiased opinion obviously.

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    esbo, Jul 22, 2011
    #111
  15. esbo

    esbo Registered Senior Member

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    No it does not, I never brought religion into the matter nor is it relevant to the question, you just see God as a creation of science whereas other see science as a creation of God.

    You are entitled to your opinion and I am entitled to mine.
     
    esbo, Jul 22, 2011
    #112
  16. esbo

    esbo Registered Senior Member

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    That seems to be the basis of a number of arguments as to the answer to the question.
     
    esbo, Jul 22, 2011
    #113
  17. esbo

    esbo Registered Senior Member

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    I am struggling to see your point.
    Our eyes are nothing like chlorophyll.
    Losing your longer post is no great loss to me because the short version does not seem particularly relevant or indeed to contain any strong arguement as to the answer, not one I can see anyway.
     
    esbo, Jul 22, 2011
    #114
  18. esbo

    esbo Registered Senior Member

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    Well despite your graph, leaves are still green and no amount of chemical formula's or whatever are likely to convince me otherwise.
     
    esbo, Jul 22, 2011
    #115
  19. esbo

    esbo Registered Senior Member

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    Do you have the remember me button clicked?
    I normally find posts are recoverable if I accidently move off the page, but not always.
     
    esbo, Jul 22, 2011
    #116
  20. Trippy

    Trippy ALEA IACTA EST Staff Member

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    Pure Baloney.
     
    Trippy, Jul 22, 2011
    #117
  21. Me-Ki-Gal

    Me-Ki-Gal Banned Banned

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    What is your opinion ? You seem to be noncommittal at best . Is it your opinion that God created science ? if so like implied then you have brought religion into the discussion , which leads us to believe that was your motive in the first place.
    Say what you mean . You are beating around the bush . Are you advocating that God made plants green or not ? Stand in the place you intend. Take ownership of your assertions. That is if you want any kind of credibility , Otherwise we could be trolling buddies and catch some big fish on Flat head lake
     
    Me-Ki-Gal, Jul 22, 2011
    #118
  22. MacGyver1968

    MacGyver1968 Fixin' Shit that Ain't Broke Valued Senior Member

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    Spoken like a true Woo woo. At least Trippy's time wasn't totally wasted...I came away with some new knowledge.
     
    MacGyver1968, Jul 22, 2011
    #119
  23. Trippy

    Trippy ALEA IACTA EST Staff Member

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    Right.
    This must be like the eighth time I've said this.
    They appear green because they absorb less green light than they do red light or blue light.
    This does not mean that they absorb no green light at all.

    In other words, there is nothing in that graph that suggests that they should be any colour other than green.
     
    Trippy, Jul 22, 2011
    #120
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