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

1 Answer
Sarthak Mahajan
Feb 8, 2016

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

Explanation:

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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