Green

Green is a color that appears frequently in nature, especially in leaves, grasses, and many plants. It is also found in fruits, animals, minerals, and everyday objects. In the visible part of the electromagnetic spectrum, green light occupies a region between blue and yellow, with wavelengths roughly from 495 to 570 nanometres. These limits are approximate because the boundaries between named colors are not sharply defined.

We perceive green when light stimulates the cone cells in our eyes in a particular combination, and the brain processes their signals as a color experience. A green surface usually reflects more light from parts of the spectrum associated with green while absorbing more of other wavelengths, although the exact pattern depends on the material. The color we see can also change with illumination and with nearby colors.

Green is especially important in plants because chlorophyll, the main light-absorbing pigment involved in photosynthesis, absorbs red and blue light more strongly than green light. As a result, leaves reflect and transmit more green light, which contributes to their typical green appearance. Not every plant is simply green, however; other pigments and structures can produce leaves and other plant parts with different colors.

Green also occurs in animals through pigments or microscopic structures that interact with light. Humans use green widely in clothing, art, signs, maps, packaging, and digital displays. On a screen, green is one of the three primary colors of light in the RGB system, together with red and blue. By changing the intensity of these three light channels, a screen can create many different colors. Green therefore connects an everyday visual experience with important processes in physics, biology, and human technology.