Photosynthesis
Photosynthesis is the process associated with green chlorophyll that converts electromagnetic energy into chemical energy that becomes food for all living organisms. The blue and red light are the primary energy sources that drive the photosynthetic process, which typically on land, occurs in leaves, the solar collectors for photosynthesis.
Below are two sections of resources. The first set provides detailed illustrations and information about photosynthesis. The second set are resources on how plants use light in addition to photosynthesis (photobiology).
Why two sections? Light interacts with all objects in three possible ways: it may be absorbed, reflected, or transmitted through the object. Most of the remote sensing techniques of vegetation currently in use monitor the proportions of different wavelengths of light reflected by leaves.
The amount of light reflected by leaves depends on how much is absorbed by and transmitted through them, so we need to understand the processes that influence absorbtion and transmission of light by leaves. Much of the light absorbed by leaves is used for photosynthesis, and plants respond to competition by sensing the proportions of light transmitted through and reflected by neighboring plants.
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