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Name: Emily
Status: Student
Age: 11
Location: N/A
Country: N/A
Date: Around 1999
Question:
Why is a purple plant purple on the outside but green on the inside?


Replies:
All plants need chlorophyll to photosynthesize. So they must be green somewhere. they have other pigments also to increase the amount of light they can use for photosynthesis. In purple plants, the red overshadows the green but the green is there underneath.

Van Hoeck

Dear Emily,

The coloration of a plant's surface is related to the wavelength of light reflected. Other color wavelengths of light are absorbed. Chlorophyll which is needed for photosynthesis is green; therefore, there needs to be green somewhere, in this case, "inside".

Sincerely,
Anthony R. Brach, Ph.D.


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